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Community honors the life and legacy of William “Bill” Jimmerson

Community honors the life and legacy of William “Bill” Jimmerson
Community honors the life and legacy of William “Bill” Jimmerson
Community honors the life and legacy of William “Bill” Jimmerson
Posted at 8:31 AM, Oct 10, 2022
and last updated 2022-10-10 10:32:34-04

On Sunday, October 9, 2022,, a memorial service was held in the Conrad High School gymnasium to honor the life and legacy of William “Bill” Jimmerson.

Known better as “Mr. J” to those that knew him, Bill Jimmerson was born in Belgrade, Montana in 1948 to parents, Gerald and Alice Jimmerson. It was at Fergus High School that Bill was introduced to agriculture and the FFA by his friend and mentor, Jim Schultz. After graduating high school, Bill attended Montana State University and was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. Bill met his wife of 53 years, Molly McGuire, his sophomore year at MSU. After graduating from MSU, Bill served as 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army for three months of active duty and two years of reserve duty. Bill received his Master’s in Agriculture Education from MSU in 1980.

It was then that Bill began his journey as a teacher, where he shaped the lives of countless students for 23 years. His work as an educator has been recognized by the Montana FFA, the National FFA, the White House (as a Champion of Change in 2012), and even inducted as an honorary member of the Blackfoot Indian Nation due to his work championing American Indians in the FFA.

Students who mentored under Bill largely went on to accomplish great things with their lives and careers. A short list saw Bill mentor 12 student teachers, 66 chapter members who attained a State FFA Degree, 15 chapter members who attained the American FFA Degree, and 11 members who were selected as State FFA Officers.

Community honors the life and legacy of William “Bill” Jimmerson
Community honors the life and legacy of William “Bill” Jimmerson

“When I was a sophomore, Mr. J told me ‘you’re going to be a State Officer’, and at that point I had no idea what that was,” says former student to Bill, Darin Stanley, “When I was elected to be a State Officer, I was pretty emotional, and the first thing he said to me when I came off the stage was, ‘I told you. I told you you were gonna do it, now you’ve done it, and everything else in life you can take full charge at, and be successful.’”

“He saw the positive in everybody,” says another former student, Heather Erickson, “no matter how many times we would get in trouble on FFA trips, or how many times we were trying to sneak around and do things, he always saw the positive in everybody and everything they did. He could see the potential even when you didn’t think you had potential,” Erickson concludes.

Bill was passionate about his beloved Montana State Bobcats and St. Louis Cardinals, playing cards with his family, whistling tunelessly, toothpicks, rodeo and bull riding. He loved to garden, explore his natural surroundings, and take his grandchildren fishing. Most importantly, Bill loved his family. He invested all his time, energy, and love into his family after his retirement from teaching.

Bill Jimmerson is survived by his wife, Molly; daughter, Traci and granddaughter, Claire; son, Jason and grandsons Caden and Kellen; and daughter-in-law, Sandra. He is also survived by his brother Gary; sister, Geraldine; brother Jack; and sister Nancy, along with numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and nephews.

“He will be missed,” says longtime friend and colleague, Milford Wearley, “But the legacy he left behind will live on forever in Agriculture Education. Just a great, wonderful man that loved agriculture and Montana.”

The Bill Jimmerson Legacy Fund helps support ongoing scholarships to students. Donations can be made here.


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Community honors the life and legacy of William “Bill” Jimmerson
Community honors the life and legacy of William “Bill” Jimmerson