James Joseph Vanderheiden

James (Jim) Joseph Vanderheiden, 76, of The Villages, FL entered into the presence of the Lord on August 4th, 2025. He passed away peacefully at home following a lengthy illness. Jim was a devoted follower of Jesus. His greatest desire was that all could find the peace and joy of entering into a personal relationship with his Savior. Jim was born on November 3rd, 1948 in Valentine, NE, to Sylvester Theodore (Bill) and Hermina (Massingale) Vanderheiden. Jim was the youngest of four children born to their union. He spent summers at his aunts' and uncles' ranches in the area, riding horses, helping with ranch tasks, and spending time at the local swimming hole on the Niobrara River. His family moved to Scotts Bluff/Gering, NE, prior to his entering Gering High School from which he graduated in 1968. He was a state champion wrestler during that time. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1972, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. After that he took a summer job in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where he later obtained his master's degree in Guidance and Counseling from Northern Michigan University. It was while living here that he met his wife, Cheryl, and this was where his four children were born. In 1986, the family moved to Aurora, Colorado, where they lived until they moved to Rochester, MN in 1996. After retirement, Jim and Cheryl traveled full-time in their RV around the United States and Canada, and taking cruises to Alaska and the Caribbean. They then moved to The Villages, FL, where Jim was active in various church ministries, and enjoyed playing golf and hosting visiting family and friends. Jim is survived by his wife of 46 years, Cheryl (Johnson) Vanderheiden; their children Eric (Armanda) Vanderheiden of Rochester, MN; Jason (Mandy) Vanderheiden of Omaha, NE; Nicole (É. Sirius) Vanderheiden-Chessmore of Shafer, MN; Ryan (Melisa) Vanderheiden of Rochester, MN; and 8 beautiful grandchildren: Jesse, Sophie, Gavin, Jackson, Odessa, Azymeon, Liam, and Aiden. Jim is also survived by his sister, Jan Hewitt of Philip, SD; and sister-in-law, Carol Vanderheiden of Littleton, CO; as well as Mother-in-law Bev Peterson of Marquette, MI; brother-in-law, Bill (Sarah) Johnson of Marquette, MI; Ed (Valerie) Johnson of Sentani, Indonesia; Ray (Lisa) Johnson of Skandia, MI; Charlotte (John) Pfeiffer of Daly City, CA; and many nieces and nephews. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Don Vanderheiden, and Tom Vanderheiden. Private arrangements to celebrate his life are being made.