James "Jim" Kava

March 22, 1953 - April 30, 2017

James P. “Jim” Kava, 64, of Clarks died on Sunday, April 30, 2017 at Litzenberg Memorial County Hospital. Funeral services will be held on Friday, May 5, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Clarks, with Father Richard Whiteing officiating. Visitation will be on Thursday, May 4th from 5-7 p.m. with a 7 p.m. rosary service at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Clarks. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery near Clarks immediately following the funeral services at the church. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.soltwagnerfuneral.com. Memorials are suggested to the family. James Patrick Kava was born on March 22, 1953 in Fullerton, to Lonnie and Irene (Kielian) Kava. He attended District 40 school and Krakow, until the 8th grade. He graduated from Clarks High School in 1971. On September 21, 1974, Jim married Pam Branting at Krakow. Following graduation Jim moved to Colorado and began working for a well driller. He then moved back to Nebraska, where he began farming for Roger Luebbe at Luebbe’s Agri Service. In 1987, he started his own trucking company, called JK Trucking. On March 16, 2009 Jim married Shirley Bigelow in Central City. He was still trucking and farming until the time of his death. He is currently the Mayor of Clarks, a position he has held for the following 16 years and a board member for the Village of Clarks for 18 years. Jim was a member of the St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Clarks. He was an avid collector of John Deere toys and Top Fuel Dragsters. He also enjoyed watching football and drag racing. His pride and joy were his grandchildren. He loved spending time with them. Those left to cherish his memory are; his wife Shirley of Clarks, his daughter, Mandy (Kava) and John Wood of Gretna; his parents, Lonnie and Irene Kava of Fullerton; step-children, Andrew (Anna) Sronce of Timnath, CO and Joshua Sronce of Omaha; his brothers, Bill (Kim) Kava of Clarks; Kelly Kava and Michelle Mariani of Grand Island; and his three grandchildren, Jayden and Jaxon Wood and Brody Sronce. He was preceded in death by his grandparents; John and Tillie Kava and Joe and Valaria Kielian.