Jim Fegan was born in Sault St. Marie, Michigan on March 20, 1935 and grew up on a small dairy farm in Dafter Township, Michigan. He 
attended the one room Christie School through the seventh grade, graduated from Superior High School in Brimley, Michigan, class of 1953, received and engineering degree from Michigan Technological University in 1957 and was inducted into Michigan Tech’s Academy of Geological Engineering and Sciences in 1996.
Jim and Dorothy Carter were married on April 5, 1958 in Hibbing, Minnesota and together raised 6 children and have helped spoil 8 grandchildren. After 56 years of marriage Dorothy died from cancer in 2014.
Jim worked in the iron mining industry for 37 years in Minnesota and Michigan, retiring as the General Manager of the Empire Mine in 1994.
Shortly after retirement the Lord called him to the pastoral ministry. He received training at the Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL and for the past 15 years has served as a local pastor in United Methodist Churches in Michigan, retiring In June 2016.
Jim hatched his first chicks from eggs incubated by a Brown Leghorn pullet in 1947 and has been actively breeding and hatching chicks ever since. He didn’t learn about show quality chickens until many years later and in 1983 one of his Black Australorps won Champion English at a major show. His Australorps along with his Barred Plymouth Rocks went on to win in many shows leading to earning APA Master Exhibitor #479 in 2001 and a few years later APA Grand Master Exhibitor of Australorps. He served for many years as Secretary of the American Australorp Breeders. For a number of years, with Dorothy’s help, he shipped hatching eggs and Australorp breeding stock to many parts of the U. S.
He has bred and raised 7 of the 8 recognized varieties of LF Ameraucanas and several varieties of Ameraucana bantams. Jim has had some success breeding Silver and Brown Red Ameraucanas L F. He is an honorary Vice President of the Ameraucana Alliance and received the Ameraucana Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
In recent years he has focused on the Chantecler breed and served two terms as president of the Chantecler Fanciers International.
He has twice won Champion Land Fowl with his White Chanteclers.
Jim is a Life Member of the APA, ABA and the Ameraucana Alliance, holds APA specialty judging license #1145 and was recognized as one of the 2016 APA Honorees.
Jim Fegan <lorpman1 [at] gmail.com>