James G. Esades

James G. Esades died

peacefully Thursday,

January 6, 2022, at Minot

Health and Rehab in

Minot, ND.

Jim was born to Alice

(Parkhurst) and Gus

Esades on December 18,

1940, in Rapid City, SD.

He began his education in

a country school, moving

from a farm into Rapid

City as a second grader.

Throughout his years in

school, he was active in

Boy Scouts, achieving the

Order of the Arrow, and

while in high school

played football, graduat-

ing from Rapid City High

School in 1959. Jim con-

tinued his education at

Huron College, SD, Fair-

field College, IA, and

Minot State University,

majoring in art education.

He served in the US Army

National Guard receiving

an honorable discharge.

In the summer of 1960

Jim worked for MGM,

chauffeuring cast

members in the Black

Hills of SD during the

filming of How the West

Was Won. He was subse-

quently employed by Boe-

ing Aircraft Corporation

to construct and install

Minuteman missiles at

Ellsworth Air Force Base

in SD. In 1963 Jim left Ra-

pid City to continue his

work with Boeing at

Minot Air Force Base. In

1964 he began employ-

ment with I. Keating Fur-

niture World in Minot,

where he managed sales

and marketing. In 1976

Jim opened his own busi-

ness in Minot with Albert

Boehm, forming American

Lifestyle, Inc. They went

on to open stores in

Bismarck, Williston, Dic-

kinson, and Grand Forks,

ND, selling everything

from waterbeds and bed-

room furniture to elec-

tronics, as well as operat-

ing video rental stores.

Jim retired in 2004.

In 1962 Jim married

Lynda Bachand. From this

union two sons were

born: Jamey and Vincent.

They later divorced. In

1974 Jim married Rebecca

Amstrup, also gaining a

daughter, Molly Bleecker.

In 1979 their daughter,

Marit, was born. Jim and

Becky lived in Minot

throughout their marriage.

While growing up, Jim

spent many memorable

days with friends and

family in the Black Hills

hunting, fishing, and

camping. Those interests

continued into adulthood:

he hunted extensively in

ND, ID, CO, MT, and Ca-

nada bagging a trophy elk

as well as deer, antelope,

and game birds. Jim was a

loyal and lifelong fan of

the Green Bay Packers,

and was especially happy

when the Packers beat the

Vikings! He read avidly,

preferring biographies and

history. He enjoyed travel-

ing, camping, and spend-

ing time at the Amstrup

cabin on Pelican Lake in

MN. He loved a good card

game, and spent many en-

joyable hours in competi-

tion with friends and fam-

ily. Always gregarious and

amiable, Jim, (fondly

known by his friends and

employees as “The

Greek”), would strike up a

conversation with anyone.

Whether it was rallying

the neighborhood kids for

a game of street football,

shooting hoops or pool, or

playing the “balance

game”, he was a

self-described “man of ac-

tion”. An accomplished

photographer and video-

grapher, Jim leaves his

family with a treasured ar-

chive of pictures and

videos. His interest in his-

tory also led him to be in-

volved in historical

reenactments. Jim was an

active member of the

Congregational United

Church of Christ. He was

a founding member of the

Mouse River Players,

designing and building

the sets of their early pro-

ductions. He was also a

founding member of the

Linha Gallery of Art north

of Minot, which would go

on to become the Taube

Museum of Art in down-

town Minot.

For most of his adult

life Jim stoically endured

chronic health issues, in-

cluding Crohn’s disease

and Parkinson’s disease.

In November of 2017 he

moved into the skilled

nursing care of Minot

Health and Rehab. Jim’s

family would like to thank

the many devoted nurses,

nursing assistants, and

other staff at Minot Health

and Rehab for their tender

care of him throughout

the last four years of his

life. They also extend

their thanks to Trinity

Hospice for their addition-

al care, providing comfort

to both Jim and Becky.

Jim is survived by his

devoted wife, Rebecca,

Minot; son, Jamey (Cath-

erine) Esades, Lakeville,

MN, and their daughters

Amanda (Bryce) Moltzan

and their children, River

and Brooke, Eagan MN,

and Allyson (Travis)

Esades-Throne, Savage,

MN; son Vincent Esades

(Traci) and their children,

Demitri and Harper, Min-

neapolis, MN; daughter

Molly Bleecker (Tony Syl-

vester) and their son,

Gianni, Albuquerque,

NM; and daughter Marit

Esades, Minneapolis, MN;

sister, Mary Esades,

Mukwonago, WI;

sisters-in-law Marie

Glassburn, Hidden Valley

Lake, CA, and Sandra

Esades, Temecula, CA;

and brothers-in-law

Robert (Cathy) Amstrup,

Bismarck, ND, Jeff (Patti)

Amstrup, Brooklyn Park,

MN, and Ron Moore, Oce-

anside, CA; as well as

numerous nieces and

nephews.

Jim was preceded in

death by his parents; two

sisters, Judy Moore and

Dolores Smith; and two

brothers, George Esades

and Everett Glassburn.

Visitation: Friday, Janu-

ary 14, 2022, from 3 to 5

pm, Thompson- Larson

Funeral Home, Minot.

Funeral: Saturday,

January 15, 2022, at 11:00

am, Congregational Unit-

ed Church of Christ, 430

N Broadway, Minot.

Interment: Rosehill

Memorial Park, Minot, fol-

lowing funeral service.

The family respectfully

requests that those attend-

ing the services for Jim

wear masks for the health

and safety of all.

Memorials are pre-

ferred to Congregational

United Church of Christ,

430 N Broadway, Minot,

ND 58703; Mouse River

Players, 115 1st St SE,

Minot, ND 58702; or

Taube Museum of Art, 2

N Main St, Minot, ND

58703.

The service will be

livestreamed for the pub-

lic to view and can be ac-

cessed by going to the

Thompson-Larson Fun-

eral home website:

www.thompsonlarson

.com

Those wishing to sign

the online register and

share memories may ac-

cess the online obituaries

section at

(www.thompsonlarson

.com).