James Walter Jennings

JAMES WALTER JENNINGS was born on November 2, 1934 to William and Martha (Kragh) Jennings on a farm near Hendricks, Minnesota. On February 4, 1935, he was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hendricks. When he was a child, he moved to another farm near Hendricks after his grandfather’s farm was sold. In 1944, he moved with his family to Brookings, South Dakota where he attended school. He was confirmed at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Brookings. After his graduation from Brookings High School, he joined the United States Army in January of 1955. He was honorably discharged in January of 1958. On August 19, 1959, he was united in marriage to Hester Ann Houtman at First Christian Reformed Church in Volga, South Dakota. In 1963, the family moved to Pipestone, Minnesota where Jim worked for Pan-O-Gold Bakery and then delivered milk for Land-O-Lakes. He also worked for First National Bank in Pipestone for 30 years until his retirement. After his retirement, he and Hester continued to live in Pipestone. In 2012, Hester preceded him in death. Following her death, he continued to live at home until Sunday, February 21, 2016 when he died at the Pipestone County Medical Center at the age of 81 years, three months and 19 days.

Jim had a strong faith and was an active member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pipestone. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting and fishing. In his spare time he liked following all types of sports. Jim and Hester loved to cruise the countryside, going out for supper and taking in all of God's creation. Family was the center of Jim's life and he was the heart of it. Nothing brought him more pleasure than spending time with all of his family. Jim had quite a sense of humor and a heart of gold.

He is lovingly remembered by his children, Neal Jennings and his wife Linda of Pipestone, Ruth Evans and her husband Jerry of Pipestone, Laura Weatherly and her husband Monte of Arlington, South Dakota and Carol Stepp and her husband Dan of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; his grandchildren, Aaron Kasprowicz, Megan Jennings and her fianc Marcos Dalle, Becky Jennings and her fianc Freddy Dalle, Heidi Evans, Jerrod Evans and his fiance Trisha Sorenson, Heather Swenson and her husband Cody, Eric Weatherly, Traci Hennessy and her husband Eoin; two great-granddaughters, Madison Gunnick and Zaelynn Dalle; two great-grandsons, Rylan Dalle and Tavin Dalle; one great-grandchild on the way; four sisters, Leona Peterson of Brookings, South Dakota, Irene Loch of Thornton, Colorado, Clarice Wiese and her husband Marcus of Brookings and Evelyn Dunlap and her husband George of Palos Heights, Illinois; and two brothers, Pernie Jennings and his wife Peggy of Lexington, Kentucky and Richard Jennings and his wife Connie of Brookings. He was preceded in death by his wife, Hester; his parents; and one brother, Glen Jennings.