James Robert ‘Jim’ McDougall Obituary

McDougall, James Robert “Jim” of Minnetonka, MN died peacefully on March 26, 2023, less than two months shy of celebrating his 100th birthday, surrounded by family. Jim was born in Le Mars, IA, on May 12, 1923, to Chester and Edith McDougall. He was raised on a farm near Le Mars, growing up with his three sisters and six brothers. He was confirmed in the Methodist Church, graduated from Le Mars Central High School in 1941 and then enlisted in the United States Navy to fight for his country in WWII. He served as a combat air crewman and bombardier with the Catalina PBY Black Cats for the 7th Fleet’s Squadron VPB-52 in the South Pacific from 1942-46, and was awarded the Navy’s Air Medal and the Presidential Unit Citation. Upon discharge from the Navy in 1946, Jim married the love of his life, Yvonne Marie (Von) Welch. The two started college life together, taking advantage of the GI Bill. Jim earned a B.A. from Yankton College and a B.S. in Agricultural Education from South Dakota State College. He taught Vocational Agriculture classes in northwest IA for four years before taking a position with Cargill, Incorporated, in Minneapolis in 1955. During his tenure with Cargill, Jim worked in a variety of capacities including: Product Manager, Northern Regional Sales Manager, and Beef Nutrition Consultant and played a key role in Cargill’s entry into the beef industry. He retired from Cargill after 33 years in 1988. Some of the inventions and contributions that he spearheaded at Cargill include: the Prescription Feeding Calculator for developing nutritionally balanced rations for cattle, isolation units for raising calves and piglets, and the Cargill Feedlot System. Both before and after retirement, Jim served as a livestock consultant in a number of foreign countries, including Spain, Poland and Ukraine. Jim and Von enjoyed 68 years of marriage and raised six children–five daughters and one son in Minnetonka, MN. They loved traveling together and visited most states of the U.S. and many international destinations. Jim was a gifted speaker, and because of his experience in naval aerial combat in WWII, he was a sought-after presenter at many military and aviation events. In his later years, Jim continued his love of learning and teaching through writing his memoirs. He felt that he had been very fortunate in life and was eager to pass on his many life lessons to his family and close friends. Jim was a master storyteller and has written several books. The first is “Almost Famous,” about his years growing up in a large agricultural family in rural IA. The second is “Conflict to Combat in the South Pacific,” about his naval aerial combat experience in WWII. The third is “The Road to Love,” about how his ancestors from Scotland and Ireland put down roots in this great country and flourished in northwest Iowa. At the time of his passing, Jim had just completed a fourth book about his years teaching high school vocational agriculture classes, his long and fruitful career with Cargill, and his experiences raising a family and traveling. Jim is survived by his 6 children: Dana (Frank) Audrain, Betsy (Len) Gibbs, Jayne (Tim) Neal, Jackie (Brian) Seemann, Sandy (Lee) LaTourelle, and Jamie (Lucy) McDougall; his sisters: Janice (Dave) Petry and Edythe (Gene) Swanson; and brothers: Bill (Dee) McDougall, Dick (Pat) McDougall, Doug (Vonice) McDougall, Nick (Donna) McDougall, Denny (Lynne) McDougall, Mark (Jeanie) McDougall; sister-in law Gerrie (Al) Allen; brother-in-law John (Patsy) Ferneau, as well as 17 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren and many beloved nieces and nephews, cousins and other cherished relatives. Jim is preceded in death by his wife Von (Welch) McDougall; parents, Chester and Edith (Nicholson) McDougall; father-in-law, John Leroy Welch and mother-in-law, Beatrice (Musil) Welch; sister Mabel and her husband Bud Scholer; sisters-in-law: Erlene (Bill) McDougall and Patsy (John) Ferneau; brothers-in-law: Bill Welch and Al (Gerrie) Allen; son-in-law Len (Betsy) Gibbs; grandson Daniel Neal and great grandson Max Ramseth; nephew Dr. Andrew Swanson; great nephews: Zachary McDougall and Andrew (Loren) McDougall; and nieces: Meg (Jack) Holmes, Quinn Marie McDougall and Barbara Allen. The funeral service (The Rite of Christian Burial) for Jim will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 26, 2023, at St. Therese Church of Deephaven, 18325 Minnetonka Blvd, Wayzata, MN 55391. Visitation will take place at the church prior to the service at 10 a.m., with a gathering of friends and family to follow. The Inurnment of Ashes Ceremony will be held with military honors on Monday, July 31, 2023, at Memorial Cemetery in Le Mars, IA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to Sharing and Caring Hands, 525 North 7th St., Minneapolis, MN 55405 or Feed My Starving Children, 6750 West Broadway Ave., Brooklyn Park, MN 55428.