Dr. James H. Sommers
- Date Of Birth: January 6, 1928
- Date Of Death: June 13, 2021
- State: Iowa
James (Jim) H. Sommers, age 93, passed away peacefully Sunday, June 13, 2021. Jim was born on January 6, 1928 in Des Moines, Iowa to Everett John and Grace Miller Sommers. He graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in December of 1945 and went to the University of Iowa where he received his Doctorate of Dental Surgery. Jim bled black and gold for the Hawkeyes the rest of his life!
Jim met the love of his life, Ona, at the Theta house while waiting tables in college at the University of Iowa. They were married June 21, 1952. After marrying Ona, he joined the Navy and they were stationed in San Diego. He was transferred to the Marine Base in Kaneohe Bay on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii serving as a Naval Base Dentist for the duration of the Korean War. Jim served in the Naval Reserves at the Fort Des Moines every single Wednesday evening for twenty years with Ona singing, “Anchors Away” to him in uniform as he left.
Jim moved back to Des Moines following the war and joined the dental practice of his father, Everett John and uncle, Roy Sommers. In 1975, Jim was one of the founding dentists to open Dental Associates, PC in West Des Moines while still working downtown with his father and uncle. He remained a dentist at Dental Associates until retiring in 2000 to care for his wife, Ona. Following Ona’s passing in 2001, Jim’s love of dentistry led him to work as an adjunct professor for the University of Iowa senior dental students at Broadlawns Medical Center. He remained there until 2015.
Jim loved the outdoors which started as a child and progressed while working as a camp counselor at Minocqua in Northern Wisconsin. He was an avid upland game hunter and was never without a black lab at his side while hunting. Second to hunting, he loved fishing. Jim was very involved with Fishing Has No Boundaries for many years in Hayward, Wisconsin near his cabin on Lac Courte Oreilles. He loved being up at the lake all summer long. He would open his cabin every Mother’s Day weekend even if meant the ice was not out of the lake and remain there early into October.
He was very active in the American College of Dentistry, Black Club, US Power Squadron, Rotary Club of Des Moines for many, many years. Jim loved to read and read all genres in particular American History.
His unconditional love for his children will live on in David (Angela), Anne, John, and Claire (Jim) Schelble and grandchildren, Christy, Lauren (Tom), James, Hannah, Henry, Alex (Chase) and Emma (Dillon) and great grandchild, Ender. He will be dearly missed by his family and his many friends in the community.