James “Jim" Huebner, 75, died Nov. 6 in Kansas City, Missouri after a yearlong battle with cancer.
He was born on Feb. 21,1949, to Violet and Arnold Huebner in Wichita, Kansas and attended school in Douglas, Kansas until the family moved to Carl Junction, Missouri in 1965. Jim graduated from Carl Junction High School, attended Missouri Southern College for two years, and ultimately graduated from Pittsburg State University in 1972 with a degree in Automotive Technology.
He married his beloved wife Mary Beth Workman in Alton, Illinois on November 24,1973.
In 1974, Jim began his automotive career working for Ford Motor Company in Kansas City. In the summer of 1979, together with his brother Randy Huebner, he launched Huebner Brothers Ford-Mercury in Fredonia, Kansas. Jim and his family moved to Pittsburg, Kansas to open Huebner Motors in 1983. He especially enjoyed building community connections and developing his staff as a business owner. After selling the Pittsburg dealership in 2000, Jim began another career in the real estate world, founding Huebner Homes, a remodeling and rental home business that he operated until 2022.
Jim was an active member of Trinity Baptist Church of Pittsburg and served in many capacities including teacher, deacon, trustee, and treasurer. He also served on the Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptist Board for several years.
In his free time Jim was an avid Pitt State fan and loved to cheer on the Gorillas at football and basketball games. He appreciated the outdoors, especially boating with his family on Lake of the Ozarks and Table Rock Lake. In his retirement years, he spent time building his own home and jumping in on remodeling and building projects with his family, friends, and church community. He had great mechanical aptitude and delighted in both learning and sharing his skills with others.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Dan Huebner. He is survived by his wife of over 50 years; their four children - Jason (Lisa) Huebner of Emporia, KS, Kellie (Matthew) Jacobsen of Columbus, MS, Kimberly Huebner of Overland Park, KS, and Kevin (Audra) Huebner of Kansas City, MO; their seven grandchildren - Olivia, Annalie, Samuel, Maya, Zain, Eliza, and Joanna; and his three siblings - Roger Huebner, Randy Huebner, and Beverly Gould. The Huebner family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers of Angels Care Home Health of Pittsburg and Kansas City Hospice and Hospice House for the loving care they provided Jim over the last several weeks.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at Trinity Baptist Church of Pittsburg on Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. The family will receive friends at the church at 10 a.m. Services will be officiated by Jason Huebner, Matthew Jacobsen, and Jordan Hodges. The family suggests memorials to Vie Medical Clinic of Pittsburg or Samaritan's Purse. Arrangements are under the direction of the Brenner Mortuary, 114 E. 4th St., Pittsburg, KS.
