James Harold Dirck, lovingly known as Jim, was born on July 20, 1942, in Sedalia, Missouri, to Raymond and Gladys Dirck. The second of two sons, Jim grew up with a curiosity about the world and a love of history that would remain with him throughout his life. Jim was a quiet and kind man whose greatest joy was his family. He had a deep appreciation for life’s simple pleasures: good food, interesting history, traveling to new places, and the companionship of animals.