James Wiley "JW" Tomlinson

 James Wiley Tomlinson, age 98 of Wellsville, Kansas passed away Saturday, February 26, 2022 at his home. Funeral services will be 11AM, Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at Wilson’s Funeral Home with visitation at 10AM. Interment will follow services in the Wellsville Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wellsville United Methodist Church or VITAS Hospice in care of Wilson’s, PO Box 486, Wellsville, KS 66092.

James Wiley “JW” Tomlinson was born December 3, 1923 in Harrison, Arkansas, the son of Roy and Edna Carola (Young) Tomlinson. At the age of 16, JW moved to Kansas City to attend trade school. He later moved his mother and sisters to the area where he put his sisters through school and worked as a firefighter. On January 19, 1943, JW enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps and served in the European Theater as a component of the United States Army during WWII. He served during the air offensive in Normandy and Northern France with the 784^th Bombardment Squadron. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Corporal, having earned among other decorations, 3 bronze stars and 3 overseas service bars.

In October of 1946, he met his future wife at the Bell Telephone Company in Kansas City and on February 14, 1947, he and Dorothy Lucille Winter were married. They moved to Wellsville in 1959 and shared 69 years of marriage before her passing in 2016.

JW worked for Bendix as a machinist for over 30 years, eventually retiring from the company. He was a member of the Wellsville American Legion Post 194, the Wellsville Masonic Lodge and the Wellsville United Methodist Church.

JW is survived by his son, James Tomlinson (Margaret) of Rogers, AR; daughter Arlene Tomlinson of Wellsville; daughter Sharon Sappenfield (Robert) of Shawnee; 6 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, 6 great great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, wife, and 3 sisters, Leona Brand, Leota Bozarth and Bobbie Lee Baughman.

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