Jimmy R. Hilkemann

Memorial services for Jim R. Hilkemann, age 80, Randolph, Nebraska will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 23, 2026, at First United Methodist Church in Randolph. Reverend Judy Carlson will officiate, with burial at a later date. 

The service will be livestreamed on the funeral home website.

Visitation will be Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the church.

Home for Funerals-Randolph is in charge of arrangements.

Jimmy Ray Hilkemann passed away on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Randolph, with his wife, Barbara, by his side.

Jim was born on May 17, 1945, in Norfolk, Nebraska, the son of Ervin and Elsie Hilkemann. He grew up in Randolph, where he would spend nearly his entire life rooted to the land and community he loved.

On August 25, 1965, Jim married Barbara D. Galvin, marking the beginning of a marriage that would span nearly six decades. Together, they built a life centered on family, hard work, and home.

Jim was a farmer, devoting his life to the family farm he inherited from his father in Randolph. Farming was more than a job to him; it was who he was. He continued working the land and caring for the farm until nearly the time he moved into the nursing home.

In addition to farming, Jim found joy in tending his garden, collecting John Deere tractors, Ford trucks, fixing up old cars, and sharing meals and conversation at the Hill Top with friends and neighbors. He was happiest when his hands were busy.

Jim is survived by his wife, Barbara Hilkemann; his twin sister, Judy McFadden; and his five children, Paula Hilkemann (Randolph); James Hilkemann and his wife, Jill (Lincoln); Martha Safranek and her husband, Kevin (Merna); Jessica Bader and her husband, Kirk (Norfolk); and Jennifer Busch and her husband, Ron (Fremont); nine grandchildren: Ashley, Jaden, Josie, Jake, Collin, Kourtney, McKenzie, Devon, and Douglas; and six great-grandchildren, with another great-grandchild on the way.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ervin and Elsie Hilkemann; his brother, Vernon Hilkemann; and his grandson, Thomas Reimers.

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