James “Jim” Hamilton Cothern, of Darby, Montana, passed away at his home on May 20th, 2023, surrounded by family members. Jim was born May 9, 1931, to Walter and Ruby Cothern in Mitchell, South Dakota. He graduated from Osceola High School in 1949, received his B.A. in Economics in 1953 and his Law Degree in 1955. Both degrees received from the University of Iowa.
Jim opened his own law firm in Osceola where he practiced law for 38 years, serving as Clarke County Attorney for ten of those years. His clients were almost like family. When he determined after thirty plus years that he should retire, he did his best to find a buyer for his practice that would take care of his “old” clients. He found someone who worked with him for a year to take over his practice.
Jim and Della, his wife of 52 years, moved to the Bitterroot Valley in Montana in 1993, to 20 plus acres of land they purchased in 1981. When planning the log home on Trapper Creek, Jim consulted with an architect and helped design the home. Jim acted as his own contractor after the log package was erected in May 1993. During his 30 years of retirement in Montana, Jim continued to enjoy investing, daily watching the stock markets in his office study where the window looks out on Trapper Creek and the forest surrounding it.
A memorial service will be Saturday, July 22, 2023, at Jim’s home 237 Main Trapper Creek Road, Darby, Montana. Music will be provided by Jim’s cousin, Firp Redman and members of Firp’s musical group starting at 3:30. The funeral service at 4:00 will be led by Jim’s pastor, Bill Whitney, of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.