James J. Tautges
James Jacob Tautges went to be with our Lord on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008.
He was born to John and Mada (Bender) Tautges on Aug. 26, 1955, in Brainerd and lived in the Fort Ripley area his whole life.
Jim grew up on a dairy farm and graduated from Brainerd High School and Brainerd Vocational School. He was a foreman at Falls Machine in Little Falls and worked there for 32 years.
Besides his children, Jim loved the simple things in life. He enjoyed watching baseball games, and most of all cheering on his home team at St. Mathias Park. He also loved ice fishing and four-wheeling, especially with his children and brothers. Another favorite pastime of Jim's was tending his pumpkin patch with his John Deere tractor and then admiring his hard work from his four-wheeler. Above all else, he loved dancing and listening to rock and roll, and surely an electric guitar serenaded him as he ascended to heaven.
James Tautges
He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Bonnie (Keith) Dircks and Sharon (Chopper) Rasinski.
Jim is survived by his children, Mada Tautges and Emma Tautges, of Fort Ripley, Sarah Tautges (John), of Foley, Jana (Stacy) O'Leary Sullivan and granddaughter, Aventine, of Blaine and Timothy (Chrissy) O'Leary, of Portsmouth, Va. He is also survived by two sisters, Marlene (Karl) Smith and Donna Mae Fisher; and three brothers, Bernard (Mary) Tautges, DeWayne (Peggy) Tautges and Jerald (Dorene) Tautges.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 25, 2008, at St. Mathias Catholic Church with Father Tony Wroblewski officiating. Burial will be in St. Mathias Cemetery. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Thursday with parish prayers at 7 p.m. Thursday at Nelson-Doran Funeral Home in Brainerd and one hour before services Friday at the church.
Memorials are preferred.