James (Jim) Hill, 82, of Deer Creek passed away on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. There will be a Celebration of Life at a later date. 

Jim is survived by his wife, Kathleen Hill; daughters Molly (Mike) Christiansen of Lake Villa, Ill., Sally (Tim) Bermann of Lake Villa, Ill.; grandchildren Kasen (Lindsay) Christiansen of Devils Lake, N.D., Kaitlyn Christiansen of Silverthorne, Colo., and Jonathan Bermann of Lake Villa, Ill.; siblings Howard Hill, Sr. of Bovey, Minn., Claire Hill of Halstad, Minn. and Kathryn Stevens of Fort Mead, Md. 

He was preceded in death by his daughter and son-in-law Kelly and Charles (Tony) Mertens; parents Ira and Alice Hill; sisters Doris Raad, Dorothy Ellsworth, Ruth Lerud and Evelyn South; brothers-in-law Orville Raad, Lester Ellsworth, Vernon Lerud, Vivien South, Roy Redfield and Norman Maloney; sisters-in-law Elizabeth Redfield and Janet Maloney. 

James Russell Hill was born on June 5, 1939 to Ira and Alicia (Svoboda) Hill in Detroit Lakes, Minn. His family moved to Deer Creek  in 1943. He attended Deer Creek School. Jim served in the US Army in Korea. On July 8, 1961, he was united in marriage to Kathleen Maloney in the Deer Creek United Methodist Church. After marriage they lived in St. Paul, Minn. In 1969 they moved to a farm by Deer Creek where they raised their three daughters—Kelly, Molly and Sally. 

Jim was employed by Butler Manufacturing in St. Paul and later retired from Lund Boat after 17 years. He was a member of the Deer Creek City Council for 10 years. 

Jim nurtured a lifelong love of wildlife and the outdoors. Some of his most memorable times with family and friends revolved around his many years of watching and feeding the wildlife, especially deer and pheasant. 

Please visit www.karvonenfuneralhome.com to leave memorials and condolences on Jim’s Tribute Wall. 

Arrangements provided by Karvonen Funeral & Cremation Service of Wadena.