James Hotz

James Emil Hotz age 70 of Fredericksburg, Iowa died Sunday, October 13, 2019 at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 18, 2019 at Peace UCC Church in Fredericksbug with Rev. Jim Reid presiding. A luncheon will follow at the Fredericksburg Community Center. A private interment for the family will be held at Riverside Cemetery in Shell Rock. Friends may greet the family from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 17, 2019 at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home and Crematory in Fredericksburg. Visitation continues an hour prior to the service Friday at the church. Jim Hotz was born in Iowa City on May 18, 1949, to Jacob John and Irene (Vollrath) Hotz, grew up in Strawberry Point and spent his entire life residing in Iowa. As a kid, he fell in love with sports and played as many as he could while a student at Starmont High School, where he graduated in 1967. Jim went from being a “Star” to a “Knight” when he attended Wartburg College in Waverly. He suited up for the Knights’ baseball, basketball, and football teams. Jim held a number of school receiving records during his football career that was capped by an all-Iowa Conference first-team selection in 1970. Jim and Cheryl met while they were attending Wartburg, and they were married January 15, 1972, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waverly. In the fall of 1971, Jim began his career in Danville. He was a physical education teacher as well as the head football, basketball, and track coach. In 1975 he lead the Danville Bears football team to an undefeated regular season and a state playoff berth. While in Danville, Jim and Cheryl welcomed their two sons, Chad (1976) and Mike (1979). In 1979, the family moved to Gowrie where Jim was an assistant principal and head football coach. In 1981 the family moved to Fredericksburg where Jim became the high school principal. Mr. Hotz will be remembered as a strict but fair principal who ran, as one former teacher put it, “a pretty tight ship.” Students have shared that, although they may not have recognized it at the time, Mr. Hotz always had their best interest in mind. Jim had his lighter side, too, and few Fredericksburg High School students will ever forget him performing various renditions of his favorite Johnny Cash songs. In 1989, under his leadership, Fredericksburg High School received the honor of the U.S. Department of Education’s Award for Excellence in Schools. Fredericksburg was the only Iowa high school to receive the honor. He was an avid supporter of the Falcons and loved spending time with Cheryl watching their sons participate in various sports and school events. Jim was active in a number of professional organizations, and in 2003, he received the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s School Administrator Award. When Fredericksburg and Sumner began whole-grade sharing, he served as the district’s middle school principal until his retirement in 2008. Jim and Cheryl spent their retirement traveling, golfing, and watching Chad and Kim’s two sons Cole and Caden in their multitude of activities. They especially cherished time spent on the golf course or in the pool with their grandsons. If anyone was looking for Jim on a Tuesday night, he could be found at Plum Creek golfing with friends on Men's Night. In addition to his memberships in school organizations, Jim was a longtime member of the United Church of Christ. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him. Jim is survived by his wife, Cheryl Hotz of Fredericksburg, IA; two sons, Chad (Kim) Hotz of Waverly, IA, Mike (Anna) Hotz of Minneapolis, MN; two grandsons, Cole and Caden; two brothers, John (Kathy) Hotz of Mequon, WI, Joe Hotz of North Liberty, IA. He was preceded in death by his parents.