James L. Bussen

Lifelong Wallace County resident, Jim Bussen, passed away on March 20, 2025 at Greeley County Hospital in Tribune, KS. He was born on October 3rd, 1946 to Leo Bussen and Dolores (Basgall) Bussen in Goodland, KS. He was the oldest of six: Twins Butch and Johnny, Kenan, Trina, and Mark. He attended Wallace Grade School in Wallace, Kansas and Wallace County High School in Sharon Springs, Kansas, graduating in 1964. He attended one year at Goodland Vo-tech studying Auto Mechanics before being drafted into the US Army where he served for two years.

On November 8th, 1969, he married Penny Robben. Together they had five daughters: Missi, Miki, Mindi, Marci, and Mandi. In his words, “I sure have some pretty girls.” After returning from the service, he was a truck driver and worked at Coop, before getting his pilot’s license and becoming an Ag pilot. He owned Bussen Aerial Spraying and Mustang Express Trucking.

Jim was known for his fast cars; love of hunting and fishing; horseback riding; and buzzing people, cars, houses, and tractors while crop-dusting with his airplane. Riding motorcycles in the desert in Arizona became a yearly getaway for him and Penny. Poppa Jim/ Uncle Jim loved passing out quarters to all his grandkids, great-grandkids and nieces and nephews.

He shared his love of hunting and guns by teaching his girls, grandkids, nieces and nephews proper gun safety and hunting skills that they still all enjoy using to this day. He loved being the one to give anyone their first flying experience (and what an experience it usually was with the loops and stalls and dives that he always performed.) He also enjoyed passing down his love of motorcycles by teaching anyone who wanted, to learn to ride by themselves. His latest hobby was tinkering with his new Shelby.

In the last few years, he enjoyed drinking coffee with the old-timers (which he claimed not to be one of), reminiscing about outrunning cops with his fast cars, having the bus driver drop him off on the way to school to go fishing, breaking horses to ride, and all of the other ornery stuff he did.

Jim is survived by his wife, Penny; as well as his girls and sons-in-law, Missi (Darren) Pletcher, Miki (Brian) Waugh, Mindi (Michael) Mader, Marci Bussen, and Mandi (Mitch) Beard, 14 grandkids, and 14 great-grandkids; as well as his siblings and their spouses Butch Bussen, Kenan’s wife Debbie Bussen, Mark and VK Bussen, and Trina and Ted Smelker. Preceding him in death were his parents, Leo and Dolores Bussen, brothers Kenan and Baby Johnny, Butch’s wife Libby, and Great-Niece Kaylee.

Memorial contributions may be made out to the Jim Bussen Memorial Fund and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.