James Runholt

Click here to watch the recording of Jim's service: https://youtube.com/live/Wm2m3vjXqdM

The funeral service for James “Jim” Runholt, 92, of Marshall, formerly of Cottonwood, will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 26, 2026, at Christ Lutheran Church in Cottonwood. Visitation will be from 9:30 until 11:00 a.m. prior to the service at the church. Interment with military honors will take place following the service at the Cottonwood City Cemetery.

James “Jim” Burnell Runholt was born on November 30, 1933, in Minneapolis, to Oscar and Hazel (Oftedahl) Runholt. Jim grew up in and around Cottonwood, graduating in 1951. He served in the United States Army from 1953 until 1955 as an MP stationed in Georgia. After his honorable discharge, he married Nancy Koch on August 6, 1955, at Swan Lake Church in Cottonwood. The couple lived in Cottonwood for two years, and Jim drove for Smith Trucking. In 1957, they moved onto the home farm, where they raised their three children, as well as many animals. Jim loved dogs, especially his Saint Bernards, and his favorite part of farming was harvest.

Jim enjoyed visiting with friends and neighbors. He was not a morning person, but he never missed coffee in town. He made sure to visit friends on Sundays and stopped working to chat in the fields. He enjoyed driving truck, and continued driving in the winters even after he began farming. Jim loved time spent with family, especially his grandchildren. Jim liked hunting and fishing, as well as woodworking. After retirement, Jim and Nancy spent a few weeks in Arizona during the winter, and they visited all 50 states. Following Nancy’s death in 2021, Jim moved to Boulder Estates in 2022, where he enjoyed being a part of the community.

Jim died on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at the Avera Morningside Heights Care Center in Marshall. He is survived by his children Kim (and Carolyn) Runholt, Kathy (and Dave) Johnson, and Ellen (and Greg) Golberg, all of Cottonwood; grandchildren Jeremy Runholt, Cody (and Ashley) Runholt, Tanya (and Tom Douglass) Runholt, Brenton Johnson (and fiancée Je Rae Freiborg), Tessa (and Chad) Johnson, Kendra Johnson, Derek (and Macy) Golberg, Torey (and Jamie) Golberg, and Kayla (and Levi) Kuyper; 21 great-grandchildren and one on the way; and numerous extended family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Nancy, and infant sister Rose.