Jim Bontrager was a stay-at-home dad for two decades. He graduated from Bethel College with dual majors and married Diane, after which he was employed in the public accounting sector and later at a paper recycling and drywall manufacturer. He and Diane now live in McPherson, Kansas, where they raised their three kids. Jim continues to farm their ground near Buhler, Kansas, at a more relaxed pace now that their kids are grown.