Sgt. Class James Priestap

HARDWOOD - Sgt. First Class James Priestap, 39, of Hardwood, went to be with Jesus in heaven on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, 2006. He was born on June 2, 1967, in Royal Oak, lower Michigan. James was a resident of the Foster City area since 1970 and graduated from North Dickinson High School in 1985. He attended Ferris State and NMU. He was a substitute teacher at several schools. He joined the U.S. Navy and was a rescue swimmer and a fireman in damage control maintenance. He received special honors for his heroic efforts for removing an individual from a blazing fire. Jim also served as a specialist in chemical and biological warfare. Young boys and girls have dreams of becoming a policeman, fireman, pilot, diver, welder, sailor or soldier. Jim Priestap was each one of these and more. His career included work as a deputy in Sarasota, Fla., a police officer at the Iron Mountain Veteran's Administration Medical Center, and a deputy for the Dickinson County Sheriff's Department. He also served to support Hurricane Katrina victims. Jim also enjoyed hunting. He married Constance Harder on June 11, 1994, in Felch. He is survived by his wife, Constance; his son, Brody and his daughter, Franchesca; his guardian son, Josh Headford; his parents, Roy and Denise Forstrom of Foster City and James and Patrice Robinson of North Carolina; his grandmother, Helen Mattson of Felch; his brothers, Allen (Renee) Forstrom of Felch, Troy (Joanne) Forstrom of Lunenburg, Mass. and Rich Robinson of Florida; his sisters, Lisa (Mark) Balicki of Iron Mountain and Janet (Rodney) Anderson of Norway; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Douglas and Emmy Lou Harder of Felch; Connie's seven sisters, Kelly (Jim) Challancin of Felch, Kim (Chris) Colavecchi of Iron Mountain, Candie (Kevin) Colavecchi (Connie's twin sister) of Iron Mountain, Katie (Abe) Lewis of Iron Mountain, Karen (Brad) Ellis of Iron Mountain, Cassie Harder and (fiance, Peter Rittenhouse) of Iron Mountain, and Corrie (Dean) Ellis of Orlando, Fla., many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Visitation will be held on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Kingsford Armory. There will also be a visitation on Monday, from 11 a.m. to 12 noon at the Kingsford Armory. Funeral services will be held on Monday at 12 noon at the Kingsford Armory. Pastor Terry Priestap, James' uncle, will officiate with Pastor Carl Hammer. Burial, with full military honors, will be in the Foster City Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be Jim Challancin, Jon Wagner, Allen Forstrom, Troy Forstrom, Rodney Anderson, Mark Balicki, Rich Robinson, Josh Headford, Mike Mooney, Tony Cousineau, Peter Rittenhouse, Abe Lewis, Chris Colavecchi, Kevin Colavecchi, Brad Ellis, Dean Ellis, Paul Holton, Matt Pacino, Steve Romatz, Dennis Romatz, Dennis Goovert, James Mather, and Robert Rosales. Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the Sgt. James Priestap Memorial Trust Fund at either First National Bank and Trust of Iron Mountain at 231 S. Stephenson Ave. Iron Mountain, MI 49801 or the Range Bank of Kingsford at 345 Carpenter Ave. Kingsford, Michigan, 49802. Condolences may be expressed to the family of Sgt. First Class James Priestap online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com. The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon and Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain with the funeral arrangements.

Sgt. Class James Priestap

November 23, 1967 - November 23, 2006