James "Jim" William Anderson

About Jim

James (Jim) William Anderson was born to James and Dorothy (Chisholm) Anderson on November 24, 1952 at the lakeside hospital in Bemidji, Minnesota. He passed away unexpectedly on Friday December 15, 2023 at his home.

Jim would speak fondly of his time growing up at 1201 Dewey Avenue in Bemidji and all of the adventures he had living next to Lake Bemidji and Bemidji State University. Jim secured his first employment at the age of 9 delivering papers for the Bemidji Pioneer. He also started a route for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and was proud to have met many of the people in Bemidji through his paper route, his stories included some of the great tales of a Bemidji from long ago.

He attended St. Philips from Grades 1-8 and would always say that his mother sent him there for the nuns to deal with while she taught 4th grade at Lincoln school. He graduated from Bemidji High School in 1971, and shortly thereafter in 1972, was drafted into the Armed Forces. He attended Basic Training at Ft. Polk LA, and was stationed at Schofield Barracks on the Island of Oahu as a mechanic.

During his time in the service, he returned home to marry his high school sweetheart Betty Johnson on January 12, 1974. While Stationed in Hawaii, they enjoyed making many memories, and he was able to return for a visit to Hawaii with his kids and grandkids in 2018.

In 1975, after his time in the Army, they would return to Minnesota, where he attended Dunwoody in Minneapolis. When they returned to Bemidji he worked as a Cadillac and Honda auto mechanic for 29 years at Spaulding Motors.

Jim was proud of the house that he built his family on 20th street, where Jim and Betty raised two boys, Jonathan and Benjamin. He was active with Scouting as a Pack leader, and later as the Scoutmaster of Troop 23 of Bemidji. He spent many weekends canoeing and camping with scouts.

Jim was last employed at Havenwood Care Center as a custodian, where he enjoyed talking with the residents, listening to their stories and telling some of his own.

Jim recently built a retirement home in Bagley so that he could be close to both Bemidji and the Anderson Farm in Winger, MN. He shared this home with his faithful poodle Molly until his death. Jim was proudest of taking care of the Anderson family farm in Winger, where his great, great grandparents homesteaded in the 1890's. He was happiest at the farm, taking care of the lawn, the trails and all of the big oaks.

This summer our family hosted a wedding for his son Jon and new daughter-in-law Jess, he was so proud that we could celebrate at the farm and make a lifetime of memories together. We will always be thankful for the memories and stories that he gave to us. Jim loved to tell a good joke, every day he checked the newspaper for the obituaries and proclaimed that he must be alive if the Pioneer had not published an obituary for him.

Jim is survived by his sons and their wives Jonathan & Jessica (Hall) Anderson, and Benjamin & Ashley (Parker) Anderson, Grandchildren Michael Anderson, Anna Anderson, Elizabeth Anderson, Dillan (Kaylee) Hall, and Arianna Hall. Jim was proud to have others call him dad, especially Derryk and Merri McCarthy, he will be missed by many more who called him a friend.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, James and Dorothy Anderson and his ex-wife Betty Anderson.

memorial service

Celebration of Jim's Life

April 20, 2024

Details pending and will be published later this spring.

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Cease Family Funeral Home