James L. Branch, age 89 of Batesville, Indiana passed away on Monday, October 26, 2015 at St. Andrews Health Care Center in Batesville. He was born on September 20, 1926, the son of James Branch & Irene Branch-Payne in Lakewood, Ohio. On December 1, 1951 he married A. Bonnie Aspery in Rocky River, Ohio. She recently passed away on March 4, 2015. Jim was a member of the Canton Ohio Lodge #676 Lathrop F&AM, the Valley of Canton Scottish Rite and Tadmor Shrine Temple in Tadmor, Ohio. He was a US Army Air Corps WWII veteran. Jim worked for General Motors Chevrolet Division for 35 years. He retired as a zone manager in St. Louis, MO in 1985. Jim & bonnie bought their farm in Batesville in 1965 as a future retirement destination. Jim was working in Cincinnati at that time and decided to buy in Batesville because Bonnie's father & siblings all lived in Cincinnati and this would keep them all close. The family vacationed for 3 weeks every summer at the farm while growing up. Jim & Bonnie took great joy in hosting the family reunion every 4th of July since 1965, which still goes on today. Jim's hobbies were sailing in his younger years, golf, horses and dinner with good friends. He enjoyed playing on his John Deere tractor whenever possible. Jim could always be seen at his grandson Ethan's sporting events, no matter what the sport he loved watching him play. Jim's very favorite past time was having the entire family together at home sitting around talking, laughing while having a beer. Jim would have been a great grandfather for the first time in February 2016, his oldest grandson Jacob Branch and wife Camille are expecting. He will be dearly missed by his children, James Scott Branch of Batesville, IN, Timothy O'Donnell Branch (Kristie) of St. Louis, MO, Kimberly Winans (Dave) of Little Hocking, OH and Bonnie Marie Meyer (Roger) of Batesville and her two grandsons, Ethan Meyer and Jacob Branch (Camille). Visitation is Friday, October 30, 2015 from 4-7pm with Funeral Service immediately following at 7pm all at Meyers Funeral Home, Batesville, IN with Rev. Roger Tornes officiating. Military services will follow at the funeral home. Burial will be 1:00pm on Saturday, October 31, 2015 at Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, OH. Memorials suggested to St. Jude Children's Hospital c/o the funeral home.