A livestream of the service can be viewed by accessing: https://www.mtmsales.net/thomas
James J. Kraft, 90, Minot and formerly of Karlsruhe, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 in the comfort of his home.
James “Jim” Kraft was born on March 1, 1935 in Karlsruhe, North Dakota. He was the seventh of 12 children to Fred and Jennie (Merck) Kraft. Raised on the family farm, Jim learned the values of hard work and community from an early age.
Jim served proudly for three years in the United States Marine Corps, with assignments in Japan, Hawaii, and California. He joined the Marines because it was the hardest of the armed services compared to his brothers who all joined the Army. He often shared stories of his time in the Marines, including how he learned to swim by jumping off a cliff.
Upon returning to Karlsruhe, Jim married Eileen Gefroh on June 1, 1959. Together, they settled in Minot, where they raised three children: LuAnn, Patti, and Todd. Jim worked as a semi driver for Nash Finch, a job he greatly enjoyed due to his love of big vehicles. Later, he joined the civil service at Minot Air Force Base, where he worked as a greenskeeper at the golf course during summer and as superintendent of snow removal in winter. Jim took immense pride in caring for his own yard, often watering the grass by hand while savoring a beer in the other hand and meticulously sweeping his driveway after shoveling snow in the winter.
In retirement, Jim dedicated his time to St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, serving as a groundskeeper. His commitment was so strong that he once walked from North Hill to the church to shovel snow when the roads were impassable. For fifteen years, Jim operated both the Bishop Ryan and Charter buses. He was also a motorcycle owner and enjoyed riding whenever he could.
Jim was known for his incredible work ethic. He completed two half marathons with minimal training and achieved impressive finish times. Remarkably, he biked from Minot to Bismarck on three occasions, laughing that he would need to stop and wring out his shirt because he got too sweaty!
A skilled craftsman, Jim built seven family homes and kept his garage “shop” impeccably organized. He took on many projects, building decks, fences, remodeling homes, and especially loved constructing shelves for anyone in need. Painting was another of his specialties, and he was famous for saying, “don’t skimp on the paint” and “people are afraid of putting on too much paint.”
Jim found joy in dancing—particularly the polka—and participating in sports. He and Eileen danced every weekend and were members of the Northwest Polkateers. On the softball field, Jim played left field and was always the fourth clean-up batter, upset with himself if he didn’t hit a homerun every time.
Jim was recognized for his remarkable patience, never raising his voice in anger or engaging in physical altercations. After his military service, construction, and truck driving experiences, he consistently refrained from using profanity. While driving, Jim frequently made unhurried stops, prioritizing a relaxed journey over strict adherence to schedules. He did not express concern regarding the cleanliness of his garage floor or his car. He enjoyed travelling to diverse international destinations and was often seen with a book or watching films. Anyone who knew Jim knows that this is a lighthearted way of expressing what we loved about him.
Jim’s legacy is one of hard work, devotion to family and community, and a zest for life. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
Jim’s loving family includes his wife of 66 years, Eileen; children: LuAnn (Gerard) Cederstrom and Patti (Robert) Thomas, all of Minot and Todd (Heather) Kraft of Ham Lake, MN: grandchildren: Brittany (Grant) Boren, Mackenzie (Creighton) Bachmeier, Mickayla (Josh) Oothoudt, Truman Thomas and Madeline, Haley, Joseph, Lillian, Eleanor, Esther, Peter, Benjamin, Agnes and Evelyn Kraft, and seven great grandchildren, siblings: Alice Gustafson and Colette (Gerald ) Hamele.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents and siblings, Hedwiga, Bonaventure, David, Clair, Fred Jr. and Arnold Kraft, Victoria Krueger, Jean Gefroh and Sister Agnes Kraft.
Mass of Christian Burial: Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church – Minot. A livestream of the service can be viewed by accessing: https://www.mtmsales.net/thomas
Visitation: Friday, December 26th from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the church. Vigil Prayer Service at 5:00 after the visitation.
Interment will be in Rosehill Memorial Park – Minot.
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