James Paul Junkert

Junkert, James P. (aka K0JUH) beloved father, grandfather and dear friend died peacefully on June 8, 2023 at age 87. Born November 11, 1935 in Bismarck, ND, Jim was welcomed into a large community of German-Russians who settled in and around the Bismark and Wishek North Dakota areas. Jim's paternal grandfather was born in Kassel, South Russia and many other Russian-born ancestors of German descent populate the family tree.
Jim's family relocated to NE Minneapolis at a young age where Jim grew up and graduated from Edison High. After high school, Jim attended Brown Institute and soon married Epha O'Connell, whom he would go on to have four children with before divorcing in 1973. Jim joined the army in 1955 where he specialized in Army Security Agency Intelligence (ASA) and would discover his lifelong hobby and passion of amateur radio operation, otherwise known as Ham Radio. Jim's marriage to Epha happened while he was serving in the army and Epha gave birth to their first child, Kimberly Gail, while stationed in Germany. As Jim's service commitment came to an end, he was offered a position with NSA but declined and instead chose to return to Minnesota and raise a family. Soon after coming home, he took a job with Coca-Cola as a delivery truck driver. Little did he know that it would be the start of a long, successful and storied career. For 31 years, Jim rose through the ranks at Coca-Cola until he achieved the position of Branch Manager for the entire Midwest Bottling Division. He was kind of a big deal and answered locally only to his boss and good friend, Bob Allison of Twins baseball fame. And through it all, the family was showered with endless Coca-Cola swag, collectibles and perks. After 31 years, he was made an offer too good to refuse and retired early at the young age of 54. He never had to work again.
The only competition in Jim's life for his free time other than Ham Radio was his love for the outdoors. When not working, Jim pursued fishing and waterfowl hunting like a second vocation. His love of walleyes took him to Lake Mille Lacs for many years where he would eventually build his dream retirement home, a beautiful log home located right on Big Point. Here he would have the time and space to take his Ham Radio hobby to a whole other level. He built out a radio room and tower array that would be the envy of many a ham radio enthusiasts. And he set out to make contact with every country and entity on the globe, per the ARRL DXCC challenge. He achieved it, and then some. And through it all, he met many, many great people, all over the world, and became an integral part of a very tight brotherhood of fellow hams. That brotherhood produced some of his best friends in life and would carry him and support him through to the very end. But after 10 years of living alone on Lake Mille Lacs, and watching his snowbird friends disappear every winter, Jim sold his dream and moved back down to the cities to be closer to family. This is where Jim spent the remaining 24 years of his life.
During this time, he continued to fish and hunt until his body would no longer allow it. And then he finally fulfilled one more dream; owning a hot rod. In 2014, Jim bought a "turn key" 1935 Chevy Street Rod and smiled like a kid who just got a free cherry Coke at the soda shop. But with the hot rod parked quietly in the garage, and all of his guns and fishing gear collecting dust, Jim continued to operate on air, enjoying his true love until the very end. K0JUH signing off.
Jim is preceded in death by parents: John & Goldie, son; Terry, man's best friends Toby & Jake. Survived by children: Kimberly (James Hickey) Junkert, Michele (Dave) Johnson & Tim (Heather) Junkert; grandchildren Daniel, David, Andrew, Alex, Cody, Shaye & Joe; great-grandchildren Aiden, Brecken, Myla, Sofie, Grace, Cal, Paisley, Ava & Dawson.
Memorial service at Washburn-McReavy Coon Rapids Chapel (1827 Coon Rapids Blvd., Coon Rapids, MN), Wednesday June 28th at 11:00am with visitation beginning at 10:00am.