James "Jim" Waite

James "Jim" Leon Waite was born on June 26, 1938, in Pipestone, Minnesota to Jim and Magdeline (Arend) Waite. He was the fourth generation to be raised on the Waite Homestead. He began his education in a country school where his mother taught and later graduated from Jasper High School in 1954 in Jasper, Minnesota. On July 23, 1960, he was united in marriage to Marilyn Brockberg at St. Leo Catholic Church in Pipestone.

Jim worked for Northern States Power (now Xcel Energy) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from 1955 until his retirement in 1993. He held many positions throughout his 38 year career which began in Sioux Falls and brought him and his family back to Pipestone in 1961.

In 2022, Jim was diagnosed with cancer. He was able to remain at home staying fairly active and comfortable for three years after the diagnosis. He began receiving home hospice care in August of 2025 and moved to the Hospice House in September. On Sunday, September 7, 2025, Jim passed away at the Pipestone County Hospice House in Pipestone at the age of 87 years, 2 months and 12 days.

He was a lifelong member of St. Leo Catholic Church, where he volunteered at church dinners and events. He also served with the American Legion Post #6 of Pipestone and was active with the Trosky post. He loved the outdoors, spending time fishing, hunting, and attending auction sales. He was president of the Pipestone Gun Club and proudly competed in trap and skeet shooting, winning several trophies. Above all, Jim enjoyed time spent with his family and supporting his children and grandchildren in their activities. He will be remembered for his kindness, good humor, and the way he treated others with respect.

Jim is survived by his wife, Marilyn Waite; his children, Michelle Waite of Pipestone, and Rob (Deb) Waite of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa; granddaughters, Lauren (Cooper) Kruesel of Harrisburg, South Dakota, and Logan Waite of Spencer, Iowa; great-grandson, Henry Kruesel; and cousins, Mary Jane Kraft-Weinjahn and Sharon Kraft. He was preceded in death by his son, Steven James; his parents, Jim and Magdeline Waite; grandparents, Pearly and Alice Waite; and his uncle and aunt, Ernest and Elvira Kraft, along with his uncle, Marwald Arend.