The Nelson-Hillestad Funeral and Cremation Services of Redwood Falls and Morgan are in charge of the arrangements. E-mail condolences may be sent via www.nelson-hillestad.com.

Jim was a true man of the land; farming was his profession and his passion. He took responsibility of the family farm near Morgan, MN at a very young age, taking over from his father in raising mostly grain. Jim constantly looked for ways to improve and expand his operation. After marrying Janet Green on September 15, 1962, he began his family on the farm and expanded it to include a large cattle operation, hogs, and other pursuits. An accomplished problem solver, Jim delighted in coming up with practical solutions to everyday challenges. He was an autodidact, with intuitive mechanical skills in fixing farm machinery; he was simply ingenious in meeting the challenges of farming over the decades. Jim could always be seen analyzing a problem, coming up with an idea to solve it, and then personally manufacturing the solution!

Farming was his passion, but the treasure of Jim’s life was his family. He was deeply devoted to his adored wife Jan, and enormously proud of his 5 children (two sons and three daughters) for whom he provided not only a wonderful home but, through his nature, showed them an approach to life that was gracious, kind, responsible, and stalwart.

Retirement from full-time farming in 1998 and a move to New Ulm hardly slowed Jim down. Always community minded, he took the brave step of driving a school bus, becoming a cherished and trusted bus driver for 15 years! Many locals have fond school day memories of ‘Mr. Jim’. An accomplished angler throughout his life, Jim did his best to responsibly intimidate fish populations across the state and beyond. His friends and grandchildren have many fond memories of times spent on the water with Jim. Furthermore, Jim was an accomplished artisan. His beautiful hand-made stained-glass creations light up the homes of family and friends across the continental US and Hawaii. New adventures were also part of Jim’s retirement: he and his favorite companion, Jan, traveled extensively in the US and internationally. They visited most of the National and Minnesota State Parks (for which Jim had a special fondness). But even in retirement, Jim never missed a harvest – it was a point of pride with him that he was in a tractor helping others with harvest each year on his birthday (a pledge he fulfilled right up until this past year).

Jim was born on the family farm near Morgan, MN on September 28, 1936, to Henry and Anna (Lohaus) Uhlenkamp. He had seven sisters who preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Janet and their children: Pamela Uhlenkamp; Mike Uhlenkamp; Chris (Luci) Uhlenkamp; Peggy (Jeff) Borgmeier; and Julia (Thomas) Schall. He was blessed by 10 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

Jim was universally admired for his kindness, his sweet disposition, and his gentle but resolute nature. We will always remember his sense of humor, his twinkling eyes, his quiet and gracious ways. Jim will always be with us, a shining example for us all. He lived – quite simply – a successful life.

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