James LeRoy Bjerknes

James Bjerknes was born on July 7, 1934 to Henry and Josephine (Holte) Bjerknes in Gonvick, Minnesota, the youngest of nine children. From a young age, Jim displayed a natural gift for caregiving. He was drawn to the rhythm of the family grocery store, working alongside his eight siblings, where he cultivated a strong sense of responsibility, a passion for food preservation, and a genuine joy in sharing with others. After his mother’s passing when he was just thirteen, Jim stepped in to help care for the household, taking on responsibilities well beyond his years. After graduating from high school, Jim went on to study first at St. Olaf then the University of Minnesota, beginning in premed before switching to a business major. He was eventually pulled away from his schooling to be employed for Sears for a short time and then Red Owl. It was during this time he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve where he ran a popular mess tent and honed his cooking skills by literally cooking for an army.

On August 15, 1965, Jim was united in marriage to Joan “Jo” Koenecke in a double wedding with Jo’s brother, Dean, and his bride, Vivian at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Estherville, IA. The couple lived in St. Louis Park for a time and moved to Bloomington where they started a family and were blessed with two children, Jodi and Jerome. In 1977, the family moved to Alexandria, where Jim and Dean, purchased Olson’s Supermarket and named it “Dean and Jim’s Red Owl”. After the store closed, Jim helped open the Alexandria Target where he worked until his retirement.

Jim was proud to be a member of First Lutheran Church, a tenor in the chancel choir for 40 years, a founding member of Golden K (Kiwanis) and head usher for the Central Lakes Concert Association. He celebrated his Norwegian heritage, serving as district officer for Sons of Norway and showing his gratitude with his favorite saying "mange tusen takk" (many thousand thanks). He was voted Douglas County Outstanding Senior Citizen in 2017 after logging 500+ volunteer hours at the Knute Nelson Coffee Shop, where he and Jo volunteered for many years making many friends.

After almost fifty years of marriage, Jo passed away suddenly in May of 2014. And while Jim continued to tend his gardens, can pickles, and volunteer, his devotion to Jo never wavered as he loved to say “Once you have had perfection, you can’t settle for second best”. He spent the next several years keeping his household “just so”, constantly moving his furniture, one of his favorite pastimes.

He moved to Nelson Gables, where he made friends and played cards frequently. In March 2025 he moved into Nelson Care Center, where, in typical Jim-fashion, he quickly became a favorite with staff. Despite his declining health, he still enjoyed telling his stories.

Jim will be missed by so many, but especially his family. Left to cherish his memory are his children: Jodi (Tim) Schmidt of Garfield, Jerome Bjerknes of St. Cloud; grandchildren: Tyler (James “Gigi”) Schmidt, Taryn Schmidt; sisters-in-law: Jean Anderson and Helen Lueck; as well as many other beloved relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his wife, Joan “Jo” Bjerknes; parents, Henry and Josephine Bjerknes; as well as his siblings: Jerome, Kenneth, George, Bernard, John, Morris, Irene, and Muriel.