Jim was born February 17, 1943, in Grafton, North Dakota, the son of Howard and Mabel [Flom] Skrogstad.
Jim (known as Mernie when he was up North) was devoted to family and from a young age worked alongside his family on their farm, near Milton, ND. He had fond memories and loved to tell stories of his boyhood on the farm.
In 1964, Jim was inducted to the U.S. Army and in 1966 was transferred to the Ft. Sill Army Base in Oklahoma. While living in Oklahoma he met and married Jone Elizabeth Lee [Duke] and was blessed with two bonus children, Rosemarie and Sandra. They were married for 49 years at Jone’s passing in 2015.
In addition to working for the Civil Service until retirement, Jim was part owner of The Grill Restaurant in Duncan, Oklahoma. He had many hobbies throughout the years which included repairing televisions and also CB and Ham radios, skeet shooting, photography and screen printing clothing. During his retirement years, he owned a used car dealership that put to use all the cars he would buy at auction and repair. He finally realized his dream to become a pilot of small airplanes and also rebuilt several of those that he sold. His last project was restoring two antique tractors.
Jim is survived by his daughters, Rosemarie [Lee] Dyke (Dan) of Tulsa, OK and Sandra [Lee] Warner (Randy) of Moore, OK; sister Melva [Skrogstad] Boe (Ellerd); grandchildren Randilyn Warner Walker (Leander), Ryan Dyke (Kristina) and Alan Dyke (Alissa); great grandchildren Ella Grace Walker, Crystal Durocher, Devin Durocher, Aaron Dyke and Raegan Dyke; and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his wife, Jone Elizabeth Skrogstad [Duke] and his sisters Eunice Duden [Skrogstad] and Sharon Sprague [Skrogstad].
Services are at Dighton-Moore Funeral Service, 116 North Main St., Owasso, Oklahoma. A private interment will be held at Duncan Municipal Cemetery in Duncan, Oklahoma.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in his name to Seasons Hospice, 6532 E. 71st Street, Ste 101, Tulsa, OK 74133 or Porta Caeli Hospice House, 2440 N. Harvard, Tulsa, OK 74115.
