James Wentz

James Sebastian Wentz Sr. died of complications due to pneumonia on Friday, February 22, 2013 at Yakima Regional Medical Center. Jim was born in Toppenish on June 20, 1935 to Sebastian and Catherine (Pointer) Wentz. He was raised in Toppenish and attended school there. In 1951, at the age of 16, he began work at Del Monte (formerly CalPac Canning.) He joined the Air Force in 1953. In July of 1954, while stationed at Laramie Air Force Base, Wyoming, he met his future wife, Carollee Atkinson. The two were married in Cheyenne, Wyoming on November 26, 1954. A short time later, he was sent overseas and served in the Philippines for eighteen months. After his return to the States, Jim and Carollee made their home in Riverside, California while Jim finished his service stationed at March Air Force Base. There they had their first child, Cheryl Ann. In late 1957, the couple returned to Jim’s home town of Toppenish where they raised their family. Four more children were born to the couple, James Jr., William, Gary and Elaine. Jim continued to work at Del Monte in the summer and U&I Sugar in the winter, as did many others from Toppenish. Eventually, he became a full-time employee at Del Monte and retired as a mechanic after almost 43 years with the company. Jim was an avid rodeo enthusiast. During his younger and more agile years, he competed in bull riding, wearing a bright orange shirt and flamboyant pink boots when he rode. An outfit he surely would deny as he grew older. He and his friends, Dwayne King and Joe Merck, would later compete in wild cow milking events at the Toppenish Rodeo. As his boys got older, they participated in events with him. You could often find him with son, Gary, out at Pete Shallaway’s in Parker, team roping. Three years in a row, Ed’s Bar-B-Q, owned by his daughter, Elaine, sponsored the team of Big Jim and the boys, Little Jim, Bill, and Gary, in the Toppenish Junior Rodeo’s Toppenish Businessman’s Wild Cow Milking contest. Big Jim’s team won all three years. Later, Jim began raising registered American Quarter Horses. He could rattle off the pedigree of each horse as far back as it was documented. He wanted to give each of his grandchildren their own horse if they wanted one. Jim enjoyed driving into the foothills where his mares and foals were kept. He enjoyed the solitude of the hills and, with the exception of the rodeo, avoided being around groups of people. Jim was not a demonstrative man. He was not much for signs of affection but you always knew if you were loved by him. Just say the word and he was there for you. If you needed anything, he would do his best to get it for you. He worked hard to make sure his family never wanted for anything and in return he had the love and respect of all of us who call him “Grandpa.” He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Carollee Wentz; his five children, Cheryl Menard-Wentz of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Jim & Janice Wentz of Yakima, Bill & Angie Wentz of Zillah, Gary & Colleen Wentz of White Swan and Elaine & Russell Hall of Toppenish; eleven of his twelve grandchildren, Jenna, Tara, Kayla, Stanley, Katie, Levi, Lacy, James, Stephen, Wade and Sara; and his six great-grandchildren, Bryce, Wyatt, Sage, Grace, Heiden and Delanee. He is also survived by his siblings, Betty Rust, Goldie Bond, Willie Wentz and Tony Wentz, all of Yakima. He was preceded in death by his parents, Sebastian and Catherine Wentz; a sister, Mary Crosier; and his beloved grandson, Tony Menard-Wentz. Jim was a simple man and never wanted anything to be too fancy, including his funeral. To honor his wishes to have a memorial in June, a graveside service will be held at Elmwood Cemetery in Toppenish on his birthday, June 20, 2013, at 1 PM. All who wish to attend are welcome. To share your memories of Jim, please go to www.valleyhillsfh.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of James Wentz, please visit our flower store.