James Bergerson

James (Jim) D. Bergerson, 58, of Audubon, Minnesota, passed away Saturday, August 8th, 2026, at Essentia Health in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, surrounded by his wife, Jo, and family in his final days. He was a cherished husband, father, and grandfather and will be deeply missed.

Jim was born on October 12th, 1967, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, to Doug and Phyllis (Boswell) Bergerson. Jim was raised in Audubon, graduating from Audubon High School in 1986. Jim had a wide range of careers throughout his lifetime from working for Ken Huesman Construction, to his own company, Bergerson Construction, owning and operating the Audubon Hardware Store, to working as the Maintenance Supervisor for the City of Audubon, and ending his career working for the Detroit Lakes School District. Jim was known for his commitment and dedication serving as an Audubon Volunteer Firefighter for 35 years.

Jim had a passion for cooking, cowboy meals of course, just like John Wayne would, never using anything other than his treasured cast iron. He enjoyed his weekend cruise, putting around the Hamden Township back roads, notorious for cruising steadily at 20mph, seeking to see all mother nature had to offer, always in the hopes of seeing Bigfoot one day. He was a Minnesota Vikings Fan and was adamant to be home for the game. He deeply cherished his time with his family, his fellow fire fighters, and friends.

Jim married Bonnie (Bakken) Bergerson in 1997, which later ended in a divorce. He later married the love of his life Joleen (Shodean) Bergerson, on August 21st, 2021.

Jim is survived by his Wife: Joleen Bergerson of Detroit Lakes; Father: Douglas Bergerson of Audubon; Sons: Tony (Leah) Bakken of Hitterdal, and Shane (Kelsey) Bakken of Audubon; and his beloved dog, Scout.

Jim adored each of his grandchildren Zoe, Gracey, Emma, Briggs, and Adalynn.

Jim is preceded in death by his mother: Phyllis (Boswell) Bergerson; Stepmother: Carol Bergerson; and Grandfather: Swen Johannsen.

A Celebration of Jim’s Life will be held on Monday, August 24th, 2026, visitation at 6PM with a service to follow at 7PM, in West-Kjos Funeral Home, 900 Summit Ave, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501.

A Burial Celebration to be held at Hamden Cemetery on a future date. Please reach out to family if you would like to attend.

In lieu of flowers and customary remembrances, the family kindly requests with gratitude to please consider donating to The Village Family Service (thevillagefamily.org) or the Audubon Volunteer Fire Fighters Relief Association, P.O. Box 214, Audubon, MN, 56511.