Brookings: May 28. 1933 - Jan. 25, 2025

James Berreth

Posted

It is with loving sadness that we announce the death of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, James Delano Berreth, age 91, of Brookings, SD, on Saturday, Jan. 25, at his home following a brief struggle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer.
A celebration of life gathering will be held this summer. He will be interred in the Eureka City Cemetery.
James Delano Berreth, a newspaper editor/owner/publisher for more than 50 years was a native of Eureka, SD. He was born on May 28, 1933, on a farm northwest of Eureka, the son of Albert and Ottelia (Ottmer) Berreth. At age 12 he started his newspaper career by working as a printer’s devil at the weekly Northwest Blade. He continued his part-time employment until he graduated from high school. He stayed in the newspaper business until his retirement.
Berreth attended South Dakota State University where he worked his way through college, operating the linotype and presses at Harold’s Printing and during the summer months held jobs in Washburn, ND, Orange City, IA and Tracy, MN.
He received his BS degree with a major in journalism in 1955. After a short stint as a reporter in Rock Rapids, IA, he entered the U.S. Navy in November 1955. He served aboard four different aircraft carriers in the Pacific — Essex, Lexington, Bon Homme Richard and the Hornet. He was assigned to the admiral’s staff.
He married Kathryn Lavonne Carnahan, a registered nurse from Sioux Falls. They were married for 60 years. Kathryn died on Aug. 5, 2017.
Following his tour of duty, he served as news and sports editor for the Chamberlain (SD) Register while his wife worked as a nurse at the Chamberlain Hospital. In 1959 he bought his first newspaper, the Spencerville (OH) Journal News, in partnership with Tony Beebe of Chamberlain. Berreth sold his share on the paper in 1962 when he and his wife purchased the Carver County News in Watertown, MN — a newspaper he owned until retirement. During that time, he wrote a column each week for nearly 40 years titled, “Grin & Berreth.”
Jim sold his business and retired in 1999. During his nearly 40 years in Watertown, he owned the Waconia Patriot, the Mound Laker, the Orono Pioneer, the Norwood/Young America Times, the Delano Eagle and was part-owner of the Glencoe Enterprise. He served seven years on the Minnesota Newspaper Association Board of Directors and was a member of the MNA Half Century Club. Over the years his newspaper was listed by MNA as one of the top yearly award winners for outstanding community journalism in Minnesota.
He served on the South Dakota State University Foundation board of directors. In 1996 he received the Distinguished Journalist Award from the Journalism and Mass Communications Department at SDSU. He also served on the SDSU Athletic Advisory Board.
Jim and his wife were faithful financial supporters of SDSU. There are currently four different Berreth student scholarships being funded at the university.
For several years prior to retirement, he and his wife lived in Park Rapids, MN, before moving to Brookings in 1996. For more than 30 years they wintered in Mesa and Sun Lakes, AZ.
Over the years the Berreths served on the church councils of Trinity Lutheran Church in Watertown, MN, and Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mesa, AZ. He served on the Watertown-Mayer MN school board and held offices in the local chamber of commerce. He also served on the board of Waconia Ridgeview Hospital Foundation for nine years as well as the board of the Hutchinson Telephone Company. He was also part owner of Greenleaf Assisted Living in Brookings and Minnesota Greenleaf in Thief River Falls, MN.
Berreth especially enjoyed reading, writing and sports, primarily golf and football. He felt humor should be a part of everyday life and injected humor in almost all discussions. Jim and Kathryn were members of the Brookings Country Club for more than 20 years and were charter members of the Alta Mesa Country Club. He was always active in his church and one of the highlights of his Christian life was when he and his wife were baptized in the River Jordan during a trip to Jerusalem.
Cooking was one of his primary hobbies and especially enjoyed making meals for family and guests.
Berreth is survived by three daughters, Julie (V.J.) Smith of Brookings, SD, Jan Bee of St. Clair MI, Jennifer (Geoff) George of Minnetonka, MN and one son, J.D., Brookings, SD. Grandchildren include Dan (Tina) Ackerwold, Tom Ackerwold, Laura Ackerwold, Blake (Abel) Leon, Linzi Bruehan, Goldi (Josh) Lynch, Sidney (Ben) Prisbe, Flannery Berreth, Trevor Berreth, Molly (Nick) Goodier, Kelly (Adam) Ganrud, Mary (Cody) Meyers and eight great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Donna Berreth and brother-in- law Gary Oster.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Don, and sister Carolyn, mother-in-law, Thelma and sister-in-law, Diane, as well as his wife Kathryn of 60 years (sixty years of a great marriage — never once considered divorce. Murder? – twice a week).
Condolences may be sent to the family through www.rudesfuneralhome.com.