James "Jim" Olstad

James “Jim” Olstad, child of God, was a kind man with a strong work ethic. He was a farmer, truck driver, and a carpenter. He was a man with a farmer’s tan who wore shorts despite his stark white legs. He wanted his obituary to be short. Being a humble Norwegian, he didn’t want to appear better in death than he was in life. Jim enjoyed spending time with family, especially during the holidays. He liked to get onto the floor on his belly to play with the kids, rock the babies, and let the girls do his hair and makeup. He was so proud of his grandsons…especially their service in the Navy. In July, Jim was moved to tears when he held his first great granddaughter, Henley Grace. Jim and his wife of 30 years, Sherri, loved to travel. Their favorite travel experiences were taking grandsons, nieces and nephew to Spain, Norway, Germany and Austria. Jim also like to travel to NASCAR races in Texas with his best buddy, Glen. Jim always had a great appetite. He never left the table hungry and never met a dessert he couldn’t finish. On their cruises, Jim prided himself that he was the only one who would show up for every meal. When Jim wasn’t spending time with friends and family, he could always be found at Hope Lutheran Church. He enjoyed his time spent there working, volunteering and worshiping. One of Jim’s greatest accomplishments was his sobriety, which he held since 1981. Jim lived with Alzheimer’s disease for the past 13 years. Despite his cognitive and physical decline, Jim’s heart remained the same…Kind & patient, loving & appreciative, unselfish & humorous. He handled his disease with grace, dignity, and a sense of peace. Every night during Jim’s illness, his wife, Sherri, would sing a benediction to him. Most nights, in classic Jim style, he would clap for her upon finishing, but just to prove he still had his genuine sense of humor, there were a few nights he would simply tell her she was out of tune. Jim passed away peacefully at home on January 1st while Sherri snuggled next to him, holding his hand. Jim is survived by his wife, Sherri of Fargo; children, Tara Olstad of Fargo, Dan (Korri) Olstad of Lake Park, MN, and Ross Olstad of Fargo; grandsons, Jesse (Brittany) Olstad of Virginia and Jace (Gina) Olstad of Florida; great-grandchildren, Journey and Henley; siblings, John Olstad of Hope, ND and Sandra (Barry) Kutzer of Fargo; special goddaughters, Sawyer and Sloane Anderson; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin and Annie (Haugen) Olstad of Galesburg, ND; his sister and brother-in-law, Marjorie and Gordon Anderson; sister-in-law, Elvira Olstad; and son-in-law, Dean Swetland; and first wife, Janice Lovell. A Burial will be held at a later date at Elm River Cemetery in Galesburg, ND. Due to family allergies, we request no flowers please.