James Albert Hegge, age 82, a resident of Fort Scott, Kansas, died Sunday, November 25, 2018, at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas, after a brief illness.

He was born February 29, 1936, in Butte Montana, the son of Albert Hegge and Inez Irene (Stufflebeam) Hegge.

Shortly after his father’s death, he and his mother moved to Fort Scott to be near family. He attended the Fort Scott school district.

Jim married Anita Marie Murphy on December 4, 1956, in Miami, Oklahoma.

He was a Tree Trimmer for KG&E for over 40 years.

Jim was an avid baseball player for several local leagues and was recruited to Marion, West Virginia, to play for the Class D Appalachian League in 1955. An injury prevented him from fulfilling his dream of being a professional pitcher for the Kansas City Athletics. He went on to coach for many years in the local baseball leagues with numerous players benefiting from his expertise.

Jim was also a member of the Lucky Strikes Bowling League.

In his younger years he enjoyed hunting.

One of his great joys was fishing at Table Rock Lake in Missouri while staying at Bridgeport Resort and Lake Fork in Texas as well as Lake Fort Scott.

Jim maintained a bountiful garden for years that he shared with the whole community. Many say he had the best tomatoes they had ever eaten.

He is survived by his wife, Anita Hegge of the home; daughter, Catrina (Hegge) Farmer of Fort Scott; son James A. Hegge Jr, of Garland, Kansas; daughter Rose Marie (Hegge) Wheeler and husband Ken of Fort Scott; and daughter Julie K. (Hegge) Beckley and husband John of Sedan, Kansas; ten grandchildren, Melissa Farmer, Johnathon Beckley, Ryan Wheeler, Levi Hegge Stewart, Dustin Wheeler, Michael Farmer, Jordan Beckley, Jaimie (Hegge) Anderson, Jefery Beckley, and Zachary Wheeler; and twenty great-grandchildren.

He was proceeded in death by his father, due to a car accident, when he was a newborn; his mother; and an infant grandchild, Jacqualine Kristean Beckley.

There was cremation with services being held at 2:00 PM Saturday December 1, 2018, at the First Church of God in Fort Scott.

Memorials are suggested to the James Hegge Memorial Fund and may be left in care of Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.