James Young Lundgren

James Lundgren of Rush City passed away at his home on July 12, 2017 at the age of 79, and is rejoicing in heaven after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia.James Young Lundgren, the only child of Melvin and Goldie (Young) Lundgren, was born on November 1, 1937 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up on a dairy farm in rural Isanti, where he went to a country school until he started high school. In 1956, he graduated from Cambridge Isanti High School.Jim met Karen Roiland, who would be his wife for 57 years, while they were both working at Woolworths in Minneapolis. They married on June 18, 1960, and moved to Munich, Germany, where Jim was stationed with the U.S. Army. While in the Army, Jim was trained as a baker, and continued to enjoy baking throughout his life. He gave it up as a career, though, when his allergies made it impossible to work with flour every day. In 1969, he began working as a mail carrier, and enjoyed a 23-year career with the post office, first in New Brighton, and then in Shoreview.In 1974, Jim and Karen moved with their four sons to a hobby farm in rural Stark, and eventually completed their family with three daughters. While living on the farm, Jim enjoyed raising cattle, pigs, and chickens. The farm also had two large vegetable gardens, berry patches, plum trees, and several varieties of apple trees. Jim loved keeping bees, tapping maples, feeding and housing birds, and fishing. He loved baking bread, pies, and cakes, and his specialty was his sourdough cinnamon bread and rolls. He loved John Deere tractors.  He especially loved being Swedish.In 1992, Jim retired from the post office and in 1998, he and Karen moved to Rush City where he loved the Rush City community and continued to garden, bake, cook, fish, and socialize as long as he was physically able. Jim was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother-in-law, and friend.Jim is survived by his loving wife Karen of Rush City; children: Bryan (Laurie) Lundgren of Champlin, Mike (Lamiae) Lundgren of San Antonio, Texas, Jim (Connie) Lundgren of Osceola, Dan (Peggy) Lundgren of Clear Lake, Deborah (Matt) Meissner of Rush City, Angie (Jason) Elliott of Arden Hills, and Jennifer Lundgren (Brian Kruse) of Grantsburg, Wisconsin; grandchildren: Scott, Steven, Josh, Luke, and Wyatt Lundgren; Laura and Karl Meissner; Colin, Justin, and Adam Elliott; and Damon Kruse; and sister-in-law Carolyn Lemke.He is preceded in death by his parents Melvin and Goldie Lundgren; brothers-in-law Dennis Mallum and Wayne Lemke.Reverend Dr. Harvey Martin will officiate at funeral services for Jim: 11 AM; Saturday (7/15/17) at the Dale Evangelical Free Church in Harris. A time of visitation and reviewal is planned 5-8 PM Friday at the Olson Funeral Chapel and also one hour prior to the service at the church. The interment will take place at the Harris Covenant Cemetery.Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the: Funeral and Cremation Service of Rush City~Olson Chapel. www.FuneralAndCremationService.com