James "Jim" Rossow

James Rossow passed away peacefully November 1st at the age of 90. 

Jim was born on February 3, 1935, to Alfred and Myrtle (Adolphson) Rossow in Windom, MN. Jim graduated high school in 1953 and then attended Dunwoody Institute and later was drafted into the Army, serving in Germany from 1957 to 1959. Upon returning from service, he worked for the Minnesota Department of Transportation at Mankato. In 1962, he married Patricia (Hanson) and they made North Mankato their home.

Jim was proud to be from Minnesota and the communities where he lived. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith and an active member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church for more than 63 years. He enjoyed taking part in Bethlehem’s Bible studies.

For Jim, family and friends came first. Always. He helped a number of people with projects whether they were small or as involved as building a new garage. The third stall of the family’s garage ultimately becoming his shop – oddly coinciding with the time of the television series, Home Improvement. The shop provided plenty of tool time for his many woodworking and refinishing projects.

He followed Minnesota sports ranging from the local Moondogs summer baseball to the University of Minnesota Gophers and the Twins, Vikings and Timberwolves and was a ‘close personal friend’ of Sid Hartman’s. Like Sid, Jim focused on the victories – especially the Twins’ World Series Championships and the heydays of Lou Holtz at the U of M. Later he focused on the achievements of his grandchildren in their sports and academics.

Similar to the famed sportswriter, Jim loved to visit with people wherever he went, hearing their stories and sharing his personal accounts. Whether he was participating in a session of the esteemed ‘Bull Shippers’ at Mankato’s Wagon Wheel or one of the many auctions, sales, craft fairs or flea markets around the state that he attended, he always found someone he could share a story with. He especially appreciated if one of his antique finds came with a story or something he sold went to the new owner with a history - even if the facts might not have been fully verified.

Jim was always up for an adventure. During his time in the Army, he made a trip to the Adolphson homeplace in Sweden and later made two separate trips to Sweden to trace his roots. He also visited the Holy Lands with a church group. Just as much as these trips abroad, he appreciated the many outings around the state to take in its history, join thousands at the State Fair, visit family, or enjoy a lutefisk dinner, fish fry or a pork chop feed. Simple to grand, he appreciated the people and the things in life for what they were – and they were always important to him.

Jim will be missed by Pat, his wife of 63 years; his daughters Diane Krull (Jarrod) and Janet Rossow (Jeff Orth) and his grandchildren Karalyn and Jakob Krull.

He was preceded in death by his parents Alfred and Myrtle Rossow and his in-laws, Arthur and Idelle Hanson.

Funeral Service will be held on Monday, November 10, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church (720 South Second St., Mankato) with visitation an hour before the service.  A private family interment will be held in Windom at Lakeview Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Bethlehem Lutheran Church or VINE Faith in Action or to the donor’s choice.