James Ralph Hintermeister

JAMES RALPH HINTERMEISTER was born on October 10, 1932 to Ralph and Dorothy (Jones) Hintermeister in Huron, SD. He was born during the Great Depression, the eldest of nine children. He often testified of growing up on the farm with hunger and without modern conveniences and with a difficult young work life. This arduous work ethic shaped his entire life. He received his education in Slayton, MN, graduating from Slayton High School in 1950. While in high school, Jim washed cars for Guy Gratten Car Dealership. He then attended Emmaus Bible School in Chicago. During this time, he worked at the Chicago stockyards and as a proof machine operator at the First National Bank. On November 15, 1952, he was united in marriage to Mavis Vanderlee in Lake Wilson, MN. Following their marriage, they resided in Worthington, MN for six months. He was employed by Larsen’s Men’s Clothing and Freestone Retreading in Worthington. Later they moved to Slayton, MN where Jan was born in 1953. While in Slayton, he worked for the Murray County survey crew and also Snyder’s Gas Station at night. In 1954, they moved to the Pollack Farm where he farmed from 1954 -1961 and then began fulltime with Murray County. In October, 1964, they moved to Pipestone, MN where they raised their children. Jim became employed by Pipestone County and worked there for 26 years as the Assistant County Highway Engineer and retired in 1990. Jim became a resident at Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone in January, 2021. Mavis preceded him in death on January 24, 2022. In October, 2022, 19 days before his death, he transitioned to hospice care. He died there on November 9, 2022 at the age of 90 years and 30 days.

He was a member of Faith Community Church in Pipestone where Jim was the church janitor in the 1960’s. Jim and Mavis’ relationship building in the early Pipestone years (i.e. Homebuilders group) provided them strong and vital ties that lasted a lifetime. During the days in the 1970’s, he was a rural deliverer of the Minneapolis Tribune. In his retirement years, he remained very busy in various part-time occupations including the New Life Treatment Center in Woodstock, MN, taking care of Paulson Athletic Field for Pipestone Schools and factotum for the Pipestone Performing Arts Center from 1992-2006. He had a passion for bowling in his early adult years. In later years, he developed a love for flower gardening, photography, and rescue dogs and cats. One of his favorite sayings was “Nothing bad ever came out of a 9x13”.

Jim is lovingly remembered by his children, Jan Hintermeister of Santa Clara, CA, Kim and his wife Carol Hintermeister of St. Cloud, MN, Von and his wife Nalukui Hintermeister of Chester, NY, Fay and her husband Mike Morgan of Pipestone, MN, and Amy Uhls of Franklin, KY; grandchildren, Lea Berg, Emi Scherer, Andrea, Nathaniel and Abigail Hintermeister, Jonathan and Christopher Morgan, Elizabeth Olson, Benjamin and Zachary Morgan, Robert Uhls, and Jazmine Moody; great-grandchildren, Hawkin, Freya and Inga Berg, Sophie, Corbin, Nora and Ruby Scherer, Arthur and Sadie Morgan, Simon, Roman and Willa Morgan, Saul and Louisa Morgan, Liam Moody, and Teslynn Jenkins and he was anticipating great-grandchild no. 17; siblings, Don (Carolyn) Hintermeister of Deerwood, MN, Lyle (Marilyn) Hintermeister of The Villages, FL, Doreen Erikson of Coon Rapids, MN, Henry (Lyn) Hintermeister of Cambridge, MN, John (Shirley) Hintermeister of Frazee, MN, and Rebecca (Tom) Kycek of Rochester, MN; and brother-in-law, Ron Bischke. He was preceded in death by his wife, (Honey) Mavis; his parents, Ralph & Dorothy; one sister, Doris Bischke; an infant brother, Paul; and his brother-in-law, Marvin Erickson.