James Albert Ellefson, 64, passed away on March 2nd, 2026. James worked a variety of positions at Carleton, including security and maintenance for nearly twenty years.
James was born on August 21, 1961 in Minneapolis, the son of John and Joanne (Peterson) Ellefson. He was united in marriage to Jo Anne Ohmann on May 4, 1985 at the Highview Christiania Church and their union was blessed with two children.
James was a dedicated and proud to be a husband, father, and grandfather; he was a source of dependability, support, and strength to his entire family. James had an unmatched and goal-oriented work ethic in everything he set out to do. His handyman skills built nearly every home the family lived in and he always enjoyed the challenge of using his own two hands to fix or maintain anything that needed it. After working at Carleton, he became the owner and operator of Cannon Valley Rental and Dakota Car Wash.
James’ goal was to retire at the age of 58 and was able to accomplish it right on schedule. James and Jo Anne retired to the quiet north woods of Siren, WI, where the Clam Lake and surrounding wilderness provided their ideal place to enjoy the outdoors and the abundance of trails for their side-by-side with the always faithful company of their yellow labs, Remi and Winnie. James loved to travel with his family; he was fond of the open road of the Dakotas and took many trips to the sands of Florida. James also accomplished a personal feat: driving his beloved motorcycle across all of the lower 48 United States.
James is survived by his wife of over 40 years, Jo Anne; children, Kim (Cory) and Tim (Kayla) as well as his cherished granddaughter, Olivia; siblings, Anita (Steve), Sandy, and Mark (Mary) as well as his many nieces, nephews, other extended family and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Paul.
A celebration of James’ life will be held from 1-4pm on March 14 at the Bierman, Benson, and Langehough Funeral Home. James will be laid to rest at the Highview Christiania Cemetery near Farmington and will be dearly missed. More information about James can be found through his obituary.
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