James Oachs

James W. Oachs, age 84, of Herman, Minnesota passed away Thursday, May 21, 2020 at the Hoffman Senior Living Center in Hoffman, Minnesota.

A private family service was held on May 24, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. at the Bainbridge Funeral Home in Herman, Minnesota. A recording of that service can be found at the bottom of this webpage.  A public Memorial Service will be held at a later date once Covid 19 restrictions are lifted.

James Walter Oachs was born January 11, 1936 in Grant County, MN to Walter and Dorothy (Wilkens) Oachs.  He was baptized at the Herman United Methodist Church and attended country school on the family farm. He then chose to leave school to pursue his true passion – farming.  Jim bought his first Farmall B tractor when he was just 11 years old.

He was united in marriage to Leora Mary Stein at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chokio, MN.  To this union, five children were born. Leora sadly passed away in the fall of 1981.  Jim then remarried in 1983 to Mary (Peg) Churchill.

During Jim’s life, he loved roller skating, was on the Morris Co-Op Board and the Grant County Fair Board.  Jim will be remembered for his one-liners, quick wit, colorful language and stories, his love of his Grasshopper lawn mowers, and Ford trucks. He really took pride in his equipment and it showed in how he cared for it. The last tractor he purchased was a 2011 Case IH - Farmall 50 CVT with cab, stereo, heat/air conditioning, and loader.

Jim died peacefully on Thursday May 21, 2020 surrounded by the compassionate and caring staff at the Hoffman Senior Living Center. He was 84 years old.

James is survived by his wife Mary “Peg” Oachs of Herman; five children: Jane (Les) Mahoney of Herman; Daniel “Booner” (Julie) Oachs of Herman; David “Charlie” (Luanne) Oachs of Herman; Julie “Buns” Oachs of Becker, MN; and Dean (Sarah) Oachs of Rochester, MN; nine grandchildren: Brynn, Scott, Cody, Amanda, Tyler, Arielle, Ashley, Noah, and Jack; ten great-grandchildren; one brother Kent (Susan) Oachs of Edina, MN; four step-children: Peter (Cherie) Schumacher of Hope, ND;  Lisa (Denton) Schumacher Larson of Delavan, MN; Mark (Pamela) Schumacher of Boise, Idaho; and Bridget Schumacher of Mesa, AZ; ten step-grandchildren: Amanda Schumacher, Alyssa Pederson, Michael Schumacher, Andrea Schumacher, John Livingston, Megan Dryess, Sara Livingston, Alexandra London, Connor Schumacher and Lucas Ybarra; and three step-great-grandchildren.

James was preceded in death by his parents; wife Leora; brother and sister-in-law Gerald (Joan) Oachs; an infant brother; mothers and fathers-in-law: George and Edith Stein and Stanley and Mary Churchill; siblings-in-law: Eugene and Lucille Howey; Earl and Viola Severance; Leo and Corrine Stein; and James and Joan Churchill-Krauth.