James J. Harris, 45, of rural Tama, died on Tuesday, December 22, 2015, of injuries that he received in an automobile accident near Grinnell. A funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 30, 2015, at the United Methodist Church in Grinnell with Rev. David Crow and Rev. Del Dawes officiating. Organist will be Julie Bey. A reception will be held be held in the church hall following the service. Interment will be at the Chester Cemetery near Grinnell. Friends may call at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell beginning 12 noon on Tuesday and the Harris family will be present at the funeral home from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the Chester Cemetery Association or to a special memorial in his name at Rock Creek State Park. James Joseph Harris was born on June 20, 1970, in Grinnell, Iowa to Walter and Sandra Thomazin Harris. He was raised on the family farm in Chester Township and attended public school in Gilman. He was proud to be a member of the Class of 1989 of SEMCO High School, which was the last class to graduate from the Gilman facility. He excelled in all sports during his high school career. Following high school, he attended William Penn College in Oskaloosa, Marshalltown Community College and the University of Northern Iowa. He returned home to live and work on the family heritage farm in Tama County. He farmed with his family and also worked as a production worker for MIRACO in Grinnell over the past 20 years. Jim loved his chocolate Labrador dogs and fishing in Minnesota and Canada. He enjoyed hunting deer and pheasants with his nephew, Jake and friends, Kirk and Dave. He was also an avid Iowa Hawkeye football and basketball fan and a member of the Chester Royal Grange. Survivors include his parents, Walt and Sandi Harris of rural Grinnell; his two brothers, Chris (Jill) Harris and Steve Harris, all of Grinnell; one niece, Rebecca Harris of Denver, Colorado; and one nephew, Jacob Harris of Denver, Colorado. He was preceded in death by his brother, Jeffery Dean Harris; his maternal grandparents, Robert and Clara Thomazin; and his paternal grandparents, Glenn and Madeline Harris. ******The family has requested that family and friends were gold and black to his service in memory of his affection for the Iowa Hawkeyes.