James A. Ladd

James Allen Ladd was born on February 4, 1950 in Luverne, Minnesota to Leslie and Evelyn (Oye) Ladd. Jim grew up on a farm near Hardwick, Minnesota and attended Hardwick Elementary School. He was active in basketball and football, but, from a young age, Jim showed a strong aptitude for cars. He turned his interest into a lifelong passion of repairing, collecting, and selling cars. He graduated from Luverne High School and, at the age of 18, he became self-sufficient, supporting himself and his young family. He worked at the meat packing plant and gas stations in Luverne and Sioux Falls. He soon discovered his talent for selling and became a salesman. He sold everything from cars, insurance, liquor, sod, and concrete. He also managed cleaning teams for a large, industrial cleaning company and managed several rental properties. Jim lived in several communities throughout his life including Hardwick, MN, Sioux Falls, SD, Chippewa Falls, WI, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, Orlando, FL, and finally St. Cloud FL, where he retired in 2016. Following retirement, he continued managing his rental properties. On Sunday, January 7, 2024, Jim passed away at the age of 73 years, 11 months, and 3 days.

Jim is fondly remembered by his family as a loving, loyal man who was always up for a good time. He loved traveling and trying out new restaurants. He was very social and could talk to (and sell to) anyone. He loved animals, especially his dog Casper and his late cat, Kitty. He enjoyed many trips to the zoo throughout his life. He liked to watch the Vikings play football and enjoyed golfing. He also had a collection of over 100 nutcrackers and owned several classic cars over the years. He enjoyed participating and volunteering in car shows including the Mecum Car Show. He was also involved with Toys for Tots. He will be deeply missed.

Jim is survived by his wife, Linda Ladd, of St. Cloud, Florida; children, Renee Ladd of St. Paul, Minnesota, Greg Ladd of Edina, Minnesota, Kerry (Raine) Jerke of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Katie Lynn (Jared) Mercado of St. Cloud, Florida; grandchildren Michael Ladd, Jason Jerke, Jasmine Jerke, Hayden Schmidt, and Harper Schmidt; sister Kaye (Merle) Ommen of New Richmond, Wisconsin; and nieces and nephews, Lori Sharretts, Mike Ommen, and Amy Kunz. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Leslie and Evelyn Ladd and his brother Keith Ladd.