John August Primm

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." ~Dr. Seuss

Three Generations
Taylor, John, Gpa Bill

Funeral services for John Primm will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, January 8, 2011 at Gillette Memorial Chapel with Pastor Ernie Bishop of the Church of Christ officiating. Visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m., Friday, January 7, 2011 at Gillette Memorial Chapel. Mr. Primm, age 56, of Gillette, Wyoming died on Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at his home.

John August Primm was born on March 15, 1954 in Fremont, Nebraska the son of William and Rose (Gale) Primm. He was raised and educated in Nebraska.

Upon his graduation from high school he entered the United States Army and was stationed in Key West, Florida. He married Karin Klein on June 8, 1985 in Deadwood, South Dakota. The couple made their home for a few years in Rock Springs, Wyoming. As the manager for Anthony's Department Store, John was transferred to Gillette, Wyoming in 1988.

After its closing John worked for Big Horn Hydraulics, Hanover compression and was currently employed for Dry Fork Mine as a parts manager. He enjoyed playing pool, riding his Harley and collecting memorabilia of many different things.

John’s passion was playing golf, he never passed up the opportunity to play and had made many great golfing friends. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Gillette Country Club.

John is survived by his wife, Karin Primm; son, Taylor Primm both of Gillette, Wyoming; daughters: Ali Cordova-Winters of Gillette and Elizabeth Campbell-Jones of Gigharbor, Washington; father, William Primm of Fremont, Nebraska; six grandchildren: David and Aspen Farmer, Kelan, Sophia & Willem Winters of Gillette and Emma Curtis all of Gillette; brothers: Joe (Laura) Primm of Buford, Georgia, Jerry (Linda) Primm of Omaha, Nebraska, Jim (Helen) Primm of Fremont, Nebraska and Jeff Primm of Fremont, Nebraska; sister, Pam Primm of Fremont, Nebraska as well numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Rose and sister, Patty.

Memorials are suggested to benefit the Gillette Country Club. Donations and condolences may be sent in John's name in care of Gillette Memorial Chapel, 210 W. 5th Street, Gillette, Wyoming 82716 or condolences via the internet at www.gillettememorialchapel.com.

Visitation

Friday January 07
4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Gillette Memorial Chapel
210 West Fifth Street Gillette, WY 82716

Funeral Service

Saturday January 08
10:00 AM
Gillette Memorial Chapel
210 West Fifth Street Gillette, WY

"The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity." ~Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Life on a Napkin

"Fear melts when you take action towards a goal you really want." ~Robert G Allen

What is it going to be this year? While you were having those celebrations, did you start to write down those goals and resolutions for the new year?

We tend to draw our life up on napkins, building a life upon the bits of paper we find handy. Our dreams get written on PostIt notes. Our visions penciled in on napkins and all of those bits of paper scattered about your dresser.

The time is NOW to start turning those pieces of paper into reality. Find one thing, one easy thing and accomplish it. Then find the next one and the next one. Before you know, those pieces of paper have been built into a great new life.

Don't wait and let tomorrow all of a sudden become December 31st. You took the time to doodle notes on a scrap of paper. Don't leave your life on a napkin. Take the time to build something out of your effort. Build a great life.

One of Milt’s Signs

The following is a reprinted article from my book CHANGED LIVES. Many people had already figured out that the "John" in the story was actually an older brother of mine.

John passed away on Tuesday, January 4th at his home in Wyoming. It is never easy especially when one doesn't have the chance to say goodbye. But John would have told me to shrug off the sorrow and get on with it.  That much I will do and in memory of him, here is his short story of change.

~~~~~

I graduated high school in a small rural eastern Nebraska town with very little knowledge of the "world" and could not wait to escape the confines of what I viewed as an oppressive environment. I believe in those days that I had a failure complex and felt that everybody and everything in life was slanted against me. I was constantly fighting the system and trying to prove I was right and all else wrong.

That in itself was bad enough, but it was somewhat harmless except for people's perception of me, which at that age is not much of a concern. What happened after high school was personally disastrous to my life and many around me for too many years.

I entered the Army at age eighteen and left it at twenty-one, a much changed person, a change that left many relationships with friends and family in ruins. I could cover all the gory details and recount the particulars, but I prefer to just say I was a miserable failure for quite a few years and blamed everyone around me for my troubles.

I had reached a point where most of the people in my life either disassociated themselves from me, or hoped I would leave them alone. I can't tell you how many actually put up with me and helped me limp along while trying to find my way to a better life.

During that period, I never recognized what I was like or the efforts it took for people to tolerate me. To make a long story even longer, seven years after graduation I was about one to two inches from the bottom of the barrel. I was penniless, close to homeless and not seeing any real chances of improving the situation.

I was looking for a job anywhere with no luck, moving from bit work to hand outs for helping on daily labor, when I walked by a clothing store with a help wanted sign in the window. There I was, fully confident that the outcome of me going in and applying would be the typical 'thanks but no thanks'.

I turned to walk away when a gentleman smoking a cigarette in a little cigarette holder asked if I was looking at the help wanted sign. I replied that I was but knew I probably couldn't get that kind of job. That's when the gentleman who was Milt Harm, manager of the store introduced himself and invited me in to "just talk".

Well, though I didn't know it at the time, this man was my savior. He sat me down and asked about me about myself. Well let me tell you that was a tough conversation, I tried to highlight only the positive experiences and jobs but found that on paper, it would resemble Swiss cheese. Old Milt was pretty wise and must have figured me out right away. He asked if I would like a temporary job and I accepted.

Life working for Milt ended up being very similar to life with my own father. If I didn't know better, I could have sworn he would call my father every now and then to see what he could make me do next. Milt worked me twelve hours a day and along the way taught me the value of hard work, respect for others, professionalism, respect for myself, responsibility, honesty, and a few other characteristics that are important in life.

I didn't have time to party anymore, he rented me an apartment above the store and that helped to semi-domesticate me, and gave me a new found desire to make others happy. That job, that ‘Man’ helped my life take an immediate turn and I remember him as a surrogate father to this day.

I do want to mention that much of the things Milt did to me and for me was close to exactly what my father tried to teach us all in our youth, I just wasn't listening at the time. I’m listening now and life has changed for the better.

~~~~~

I'll miss you John. Heck, we'll all miss you. But in ways you may not have realized, you taught me things that are very tangible in my life. You leave behind a wife, son and daughters that do love you. You leave behind a father, sister and brothers that love you.

You leave behind many things, but you have entered a great new forever. All I ask of you is to give Mom and our sister Patty a big hug. One day we will all be together again and have a picnic.

Jimmy's Grand Life

"I love life because what more is there.." ~Anthony Hopkins

His name is Jimmy B. That is how I will refer to him at least. I met him in the nursing home recently. But first an explanation.

My mother-in-law lives in the Golden Living Center in Foley, Alabama. We moved her there from Mesa, Arizona a couple of months back after her husband passed away. This places her in the same town as a daughter of her's and also closer to more family members.

Its a nice place and we thoroughly enjoyed a New Year's holiday weekend visit with her. While the weather was rainy and cold, sitting with my mother-in-law kept us warm and happy.

The facility itself has residents of many varying conditions. Some would call nursing homes depressing but I find them full of people with stories. Stories that tell an interesting piece of life. And these people are the perfect narrators of how great life really can be.

As you walk through the halls, people are in their wheelchairs and I always smile and say hello to each of them. Most reveal a huge smile in return. One particular gentleman is named Jimmy B. as I later found out.

One afternoon, all of us went to sit near the front door and Jimmy was there. So I sat next to him and decided it was time for a chat. The whole scene kind of reminded me of stories I've heard the author Andy Andrews tell in his various books.

The story Jimmy told me was full of the various family issues. He told of the sister, the step-brothers, the step-sisters and moving around the state of Alabama. There was heartache at losing family to accidents and deaths of varying kinds.

He told me of joy when speaking of his mother. He told me proudly of his service to the City of Foley, Alabama. He told me that life was grand.

Jimmy was a big man,and one that I could guess would have carried anything for you. As strong as he looked, he could probably carry most anything. But the biggest thing he carried was his optimism of how great life is.

Now you can try to figure out what was so great about his life. To some it may seem it was not much of a life. But to Jimmy, it has been the biggest and grandest life. To me his life is great and grand as well.

Life is what we make of it and to reach a distant point in years and be able to say life is pretty great says a lot about you. Your attitude about your life goes a long way in determining the life you get.

I really do wish for each of you in 2011 that you find the grand life that Jimmy has found.