Dr. James (Jimmy) S. Tallman

In writing our father’s traditional obituary, we spoke a great deal about how much his hometown of Creston meant to him, so this is not a traditional obituary. Our father did pass away this year, living a full and long life, which is what we all wish for, but over our many conversations, the stories of his hometown of Creston kept popping into the conversation. Some of the names and titles might be incorrect, but the ideas and stories are what we’ve been told to the best of our memory.

Our father James (Jimmy) Tallman was born Feb. 10, 1927, in Creston. His father Bert worked at First National Bank of Creston and his mother Dora was a nurse. Jim and his sister grew up in Creston, and we knew of many stories of his exploits from the sheriff, J.R. (Tooey) Ewing; such as the time they put a Model A on top of the high school as a prank and apparently, he got some buckshot in the rear-end for absconding with watermelons from someone’s farm. He was good in sports, and was an all-district center in football and played basketball. This made up for his ‘not so great’ grades in school, of which only one “A” was found and was in high school choir.

Later in life, we found out from his high school friend, Jim Aldridge, our dad couldn’t read very well. Now it probably would have been diagnosed as dyslexia or some other learning disability, but the football team helped him through school. Jim left Creston and was enlisted in the Army June 12,1945, and was stationed in Italy at the end of WWII. He he was discharged early after his father’s death in 1946.

Because of his father’s death and his mother’s failing health, he moved his mother and sister to live with his uncle, Thomas Heppeard, who was the mayor of Lake Oswego, Oregon. Honestly, if that wouldn’t have happened, we feel our father would have stayed in Creston; but sometimes life makes different plans for you.

He brought many of his kids back to meet with old friends and to show us the sites through his eyes. We visited many cemeteries around the area and he spoke of his relatives who were buried there. He showed us where he grew up and the sites that were important to him in his youth, this was important to him. He kept in touch with classmates Jim Aldridge and Clark Shannahan over the years and was able to put together a 45th high school reunion. It was such a highlight for all of them, to reconnect with many folks who remained in Creston and others who left for various reasons.

Our father found happiness in Oregon. He married Audrey Durston in 1950 and had five children. After her passing in 1998, he found happiness again with AnnaBelle Davis and married in 1999. Despite being a poor reader, he went to college and later dental school and was a practicing dentist in Portland, Oregon, from 1961 until his retirement in 1996.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity in Creston to support the local community. To share stories of interest on the Tallman family, please email beth.tallman@gmail.com. His full obituary can be read at diginitymemorial.com.