James Zanton, 71, died Jan. 22, 2021.
He was born Nov. 30, 1949, to Merlin and Darlene (Wegner) Zanton in Johnstown. He attended Johnstown Community School and graduated from Whitewater High School.
Jim, a fourth generation dairy farmer, started farming side by side with his father. Jim married Mary Jo Simon in 1976, and they had seven children. He then farmed alongside Mary Jo and all the children, milking 58 cows a day, baling hay and picking up rocks.
He won the FFA’s highest award, the American Farmer Degree. He and Mary Jo met through the Grange and were the “National Grange Couple of the Year” in 1985. He was a member of the National Grange Youth Committee in 1986. He served as Master of the local Grange, was vice-president of the Wisconsin State Grange and was a member of the National Grange Dairy Committee. Jim recruited over 500 new Grange members and organized the local Grange chapters of Wolf River, Four Lakes, Harmony, Rock Prairie, Jonesdale and Blue Valley Pomona, as well as Junior Granges of Rock-Walworth, Turtle, and Rock Prairie. Jim organized the Grange basketball tournaments and Grange softball tournaments for rural youth. He organized the Grange for vet school to bring a school of veterinary medicine to Wisconsin. He acquired more legislative votes than any other person to get it passed.
In 1988, he was granted a real estate license. He specialized in farms, farmland, farmettes and rural homes, working primarily for Shorewest Realtors. In 2007 he was named the Shorewest Sales Director in Janesville. In 2014 he was voted Realtor of the Year. For many years, Jim organized Shorewest’s Salvation Army Golf Outing Fundraiser.
Jim was on the Johnstown Town Board for six years, and the planning and zoning committee for 11 years. He worked for McNall Farms, helping them rent 21 farms. Because he was so involved in the Johnstown and Milton area, every drive with Jim was filled with stories about the properties he had become so familiar with.
Sports held a special spot in Jim’s life. He was a Milwaukee Brewers season ticket holder since 1988 and a Green Bay Packers season ticket holder since 1990. In 2008 he even became an owner of the Packers! He loved pick-up games of basketball and baseball in his youth and instilled the love of sports in his children. During halftime of every Packers game the family would run outside to get in a quick football game before the second half. The family enjoyed playing a World Series game, boys vs. girls, every year. Jim and Mary Jo attended as many of the children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events as possible, sometimes driving from town to town to catch different games, meets, and events in the same day. They even regularly attended Steve’s football games in River Falls. Jim was also proud to coach little league baseball and girls’ softball for 18 years in the Milton Recreation League.
Jim and Mary Jo loved to travel. Fun family trips were a yearly event. Some of the most memorable trips were to Washington D.C., California, South Dakota, Texas, Las Vegas, New York, Pennsylvania, and of course, Disney World and Disneyland. Jim loved musicals and other performances and spent a lot of time in the audience of his children’s and grandchildren’s show choir performances, musicals, gigs, Sunday school plays, piano recitals and more. He enjoyed all levels of performances, from the county fair to New York and Las Vegas. Jim especially loved the music from Hamilton.
He was a lifelong member of First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater, serving as chairman of the finance committee for three years.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Robert Zanton; grandson, Daniel Zanton; brother-in-law Larry Taugher; in-laws, Joe and Marie Simon; sister-in-law, Katie Simon; and sister-in-law, Adele Simon.
Jim is survived by his wife, Mary Jo; Dr. Geoffrey (Sara) Zanton and their five children, Anna, Sam, Henry, Luke and Maggie; Jennifer (Michael) Mood and their four children, Simon, Zeke, Abe and Jonah; Patricia Zanton; Marie (Adam) Stapleton and their child, Corinthea; Elizabeth (Jon) Maloto and their children, Elijah and Isaiah; Thomas (Caitlyn) Zanton and their children, Cora and Bailey; Stephen Zanton (girlfriend Mariah Cooper); sister, Judi Taugher; sister-in-law, Jody Zanton; brothers-in-law, Greg (Dianna) Simon, Jerry (Denise) Simon, and Dan (Lori) Simon; and nephews and nieces.
His battle with cancer is over, but his zest for life and love will live on forever.
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
A public visitation will take place from 9 until 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 29 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Whitewater. A private family service will take place at 11 a.m. at the church and will be live-streamed online from nitardyfuneralhome.com. The public visitation will be socially distanced, and masks are required.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in memory of Jim to: Salvation Army, 514 Sutherland Ave. Janesville, WI 53545 or Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, Inc. (MACC Fund) maccfund.org
The family would like to give special thanks to Jim’s healthcare team, especially the oncology unit at Mercyhealth in Janesville.
Nitardy funeral home is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences can be made at nitardyfuneralhome.com.
