Jimmy "Jim" Stoecker

The funeral service for Jim A. Stoecker, age 78, of Aberdeen, SD will be at 10:30 am Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home, with Pastor Jeff Whillock officiating. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Aberdeen, SD. A lunch and time of fellowship will follow the burial back at the Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home Fellowship Hall. Jim died Friday, September 20, 2024, at Sanford Medical Center in Aberdeen.
Visitation will be 3:00-7:00pm Tuesday, October 1, 2024, with family present from 5:00-7:00pm at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home, 1111 South Main Street.
Jimmy Stoecker was born on October 29, 1945 to Reinhold and Ramona (Rohrbach) Stoecker. He grew up on the family farm located 13 miles northeast of Hosmer. There he went to country school through the eighth grade. He went on to work as a farm hand for a couple of the neighboring farmers.
In 1961, Jim moved to Aberdeen and worked at the Sale Barn and Hoffer Construction. In 1962, he started working at Siebrect Floral in the greenhouse, driving to and from Minneapolis bringing flowers. He worked there for 10 years, then moved on to KO Lee to work as a machinist for almost 25 years before retiring due to health issues. He married Sharon Hoffman during his time at Siebrect Floral. They would flourish and work together doing odd jobs here and there on top of the full-time jobs that they had.
In the early '70s, Jim built and drove race cars. He enjoyed racing his stock car and his derby car "Flower Power." He was a very helpful neighbor, helping to till their gardens and remove their snow. Gardening was a pleasure for Jim. He had three garden lots where he planted produce that he gave away to any who wanted some, as he himself wasn't very fond of eating it.
Jim had many talents, but crafting was his true love. It all started in the early 2000s with a ketchup bottle that he attached a night light and shade to the top that he gave to a friend as a gag gift. Together Sharon and Jim would travel with their gag gifts and lamps to various locations in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, meeting other crafters.
Jim was not an indoor animal lover, that is until Sharon got Mickey the cat. Mickey was Jim's best friend and companion for 18 years until Mickey had to be put to sleep. Since then, Sharon and Jim inherited 2 cats: Mork and Mindy. Mork and Jim were inseparable with Mork sitting on his lap watching tv and taking naps together.
Grateful for having shared Jim's life are his wife, Sharon Stoecker; son DeJay Stoecker; siblings: Judy Bunke (special friend Robert Jarrett), Ella Vallie, Peggy (Charlie) Johnson, Ronald (Pamela) Stoecker, Donna (John) Opsahl, Duane Stoecker, and Diane (Douglas) Welch.
Preceding Jim in death are parents Ramona & Reinhold Stoecker; siblings: Shirley Mae Stoecker, Betty Hehr; brothers-in-law: Ronald Vallie, Alvin Hehr, and David Opsahl.