James “Jim” Mitchell, 78, of rural Mantador, North Dakota, died peacefully at SMP Health-St. Catherine’s South in Fargo, ND on Friday, December 15, 2023. Visitation will be Tuesday, December 19, 2023 from 6:30-7:30 PM, with a prayer service beginning at 7:30 PM, at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Mantador, ND. Visitation will continue on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 9:30 AM, followed by the funeral Mass at 10:30 AM, at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Mantador with Rev. Michael Hickin as celebrant. Burial will be at the North Dakota Veteran’s Cemetery, Mandan, ND at a later date.
Jim was born on Flag Day, June 14, 1945, to Ray and Kay Mitchell, the fifth of six boys. The fact that he was born on Flag Day perhaps played a part in his great patriotism and devotion throughout his life. He was raised on the family farm near Great Bend, ND and went to school and graduated from St. Francis Academy, in Hankinson, ND, in 1963. Jim was always ready to give a quick story about an experience or shenanigan that involved a good friend or two and the nuns from when he was in school. Growing up, he and his brothers worked on farms and with livestock with their dad and neighbors. After graduation from high school, he continued to work around the home farm and on neighboring farms. His first career job in 1964 was for Mantador Hardware & Implement and the associated farming operation, until the fall of 1965, when he was drafted into the United States Army.
After attending basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, he was stationed at Camp Rose, in South Korea. He worked in communications for the 1st/72nd Armor Regiment. He was there for 13 months, minus one day and during that time met his love and future wife of 49 years, Sun (Sue). Before he had to leave in the spring of 1967, he began the paperwork to marry her and bring her back to the United States. In the interim, he re-enlisted and was sent to Fort Sill, OK, teaching communications to officer candidates. He got leave and started the military form of hitchhiking, hopping on a variety of Air Force jets to get back to Korea to get married on January 12, 1968, at the US Embassy in Seoul, South Korea. Following their wedding, he had to go back to the United States, but was not able to bring his new bride home immediately. He worked extra shifts of overnight guard duty to save up the money to bring her back.
Once Sue and their new son, Dennis, were able to come to the United States, he continued his military service until 1972, spending time in Germany, as well as a tour in Vietnam and earning the rank of E6 Staff Sergeant. He was always proud of his military service.
After his service in the military, he and Sue moved back to the Mantador area with their young family which now included another son, Steven, and he returned to his position at Mantador Hardware & Implement. They lived in town before moving to their current farmstead in 1974. After they moved to the farm, they welcomed their third son, Edward. After farming on his own and working for neighbors, Jim began his career in 1978 as a Lineman with the Northwestern Bell Telephone Company. Over the next nearly 25 years, Jim enjoyed many different roles, traveled and built long-lasting friendships in the same company. He developed a strong reputation as a hard-working and dedicated employee until his retirement in 2002. Throughout his time working for the phone company, he still kept his ties to agriculture and taught his sons the value of hard work by raising a variety of livestock on his farm, especially enjoying the cattle.
Once he retired, Jim and Sue built their dream home on their farm and spent many wonderful years gardening, running after grandkids, and enjoying the special place that they always considered “home” together. During this time Jim also revived his initial love of farming by helping neighbors and friends with their operations. He truly enjoyed every minute behind the steering wheel of a tractor, whether on the fertile land around the area, or in the hay fields of Western ND.
Although Jim had traveled the world with the military and throughout the region with the phone company, to him the greatest place, and the best people were always at home in Mantador. He was always eager to support and be involved in the activities of the community, especially those of the Mantador VFW. Jim was a man who loved his family, community and country. He lived a life of service to all of them and will be greatly missed by all those who shared his life.
Surviving family includes: Sons, Dennis (Susan), Lidgerwood, ND, Steven, Platte City, MO, Edward (April), Glyndon, MN and his grandchildren, Bradley (KaeLyn), Carter, Landon, Ethan and Madeleine Mitchell, three extended grandchildren, Kyle (Shannon), Trevor (Jeanie) and Brady (Jenn), and 13 extended great-grandchildren, brothers Robert (Julie) and Gerald (Martha) Mitchell, and his beloved nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Sue, his parents Ray and Kay, and his brothers, William(infant brother), Eugene and his wife Delores, and Curtis and his wife Elaine.
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