Date : 29 Jun 2009
Location : St. Michael's Cemetery, Sioux Falls, SD
James L. Kersey, 63, died June 20, 2009, at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls after a seven-year struggle with cancer. Visitation will be Sunday June 28 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Miller Funeral Chapel, 6200 W. 41st St., with a prayer service at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be at Christ the King Catholic Church, 26th Ave. and Lake St., on Monday June 29, at 10 a.m. Lunch in the fellowship hall will be followed by burial at St. Michael's Cemetery.
Jim was born December 28, 1945, in Yankton SD. His family moved to Sioux Falls where he attended Cathedral grade and junior high schools and O'Gorman High School, graduating in 1964. He attended St. John's University in Collegeville, MN and graduated from Northern State College, Aberdeen, in 1968. In 1971, he received his Master of Science degree in Guidance and Counseling from USD.
Jim met his wife Kathleen (Kathy) (Brokaw) Hart at Northern. They were married June 10, 1969 in Sioux Falls, where they settled for the remainder of their marriage. Jim spent 22 years as a vocational counselor with the State of SD and 3 with a private company. He and a business partner formed their own company, Pathfinder Consultants Inc, in which he worked for 4 years, then returned to a position with the State of SD in 1997. Jim retired in May 2008.
Jim built airplane, ship, and tank models of WWII era and read widely on the war for more than 40 years. He had been a member of the Sioux Empire Modeler's Club during most of that time, receiving several awards at modeler's shows.
He and special friends Steve Langenfeld, Dave Miller and Andy Sievertson played pool nearly every Sunday evening for several years.
Jim was also a member of the St. Michael's Men of Emmaus prayer group.
He was a member of Christ the King Parish.
Survivors include his parents, Marge and Keith Kersey, Sioux Falls; sisters, Kathy (Mike) Fiegen and Patty (Steve) Kuehn, both of Sioux Falls; wife, Kathy, Sioux Falls; daughters, Stephanie Kersey (Dan Boysen), Denver; (Anne) Celeste Kersey (Jim Bronec), Canby, OR; Erin Gray, Sheridan, WY; Maureen (Jeff) Brooks, Sioux Falls; and Sara Kersey (Jason Cromer), Portland, OR. Jim and Kathy have 8 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.
Jim was preceded in death by grandparents, Vincent and Ella Kaskie and Roy and Charlotte Kersey, and by a granddaughter, Meghan Gray.
Memorials may be directed to Honor Flight SD.
Argus-Leader - Jun 25, 2009
