SPIRIT LAKE — James Richard “Jim” Beaver, 95, of Spirit Lake, a hardworking Iowa native, devoted family man and avid fisherman who became a familiar sight along the waters of Spirit Lake, died Saturday, August 8, 2026, at his home.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, August 14, at Henry-Olson Funeral Chapel, 401 N. Seventh St. in Estherville.
No funeral service, burial location or final resting place was listed in the published arrangements.
Jim was born May 27, 1931, the son of Charles and Gladys (Brown) Beaver. He grew up on farms in the Estherville area and graduated from Gruver High School.
After graduation, Jim’s family moved to a farm near Seneca. He and his brother Jerry went into business together, baling hay and shelling corn for area farmers.
Jim later became a partner in Ringsted Produce, and it was during his time in Ringsted that he met Beverly, the woman who would become his wife.
Jim and Beverly married October 2, 1954. With the marriage, Jim also welcomed Beverly’s young son, Terry Christiansen, into his life and became a father. The family later grew with the births of Bob, Patty and Becky.
The Beavers moved to Estherville in 1957, where Jim worked at the local egg plant for 18 years.
He eventually joined his son Bob in operating the Kerr-McGee service station, continuing a working life characterized by versatility and a willingness to tackle whatever job needed to be done.
Jim and Beverly moved to Mesa, Arizona, in 1977. Jim worked several different jobs there before eventually retiring.
In 1998, the couple returned to Iowa and settled in Spirit Lake, where they remained in the same home for nearly three decades.
Beverly died in 2018, but Jim continued caring for their home and maintaining his independence through the final years of his life.
Fishing was among Jim’s greatest pleasures.
During countless evenings, he could be found wading into Spirit Lake in pursuit of walleyes. As he grew older, Jim shifted much of his fishing to public docks.
His success apparently did not go unnoticed.
Other fishermen learned to keep an eye out for Jim’s Mazda pickup, knowing that if his truck was parked nearby, there was a pretty good chance he had figured out where the fish were biting.
Jim loved fishing during the open-water seasons but had little enthusiasm for ice fishing, preferring to catch enough fish during warmer weather to carry him through the winter.
Those carrying on Jim’s memory include his children, Bob (Paula) Beaver of Estherville, Patty (Paul) Freedman of Mesa, Arizona, and Becky Beaver (Ed Larkin) of Estero, Florida; daughters-in-law Barb Christiansen of Sartell, Minnesota, and Patsy Snyder of Fargo, North Dakota; nine grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; sister Marian Gardner; brothers Gerald (Leann) Beaver and Kenneth (Pat) Beaver; numerous nieces, nephews and extended family members; and special cousins and friends Bill and Marilyn Beaver.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Beverly; son Terry; grandson Christopher; his parents, Charles and Gladys Beaver; parents-in-law Clifford and Mae Huntley; sister-in-law Jeanette McDowell; and brother-in-law Virgil Gardner.
Henry-Olson Funeral Home and Crematory of Estherville is handling arrangements. To read more and see the full obituary, please click here.
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