Funeral services for James D. Owens, age 90, of Mobridge will be at 11 AM, Friday, May 6, 2011 at Norway Lutheran Church in rural Glenham. Burial will be in the church cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will start at 2 PM Thursday with a prayer service at 8 PM at the funeral home. James passed away Friday, April 29, 2011 at the Mobridge Regional Hospital.

James David Owens believed in "living life for what you can put into it and not what one may get out of it. " He approached life with quiet dignity and grace, and will always be remembered for his active mind, love of country, and avid enthusiasm for sports.

He was born May 8, 1920, to Ellen (Bendixen) and Dinsmore Owens. His parents, whose families immigrated from Scotland and Denmark, met and lived their entire adult lives in Vermillion, SD. James was the oldest of 8 children: himself, Glen, Mary Ellen, Bob, Gene, Dick, John (Jack), and Don. He lived most of his boyhood years in the house his grandfather built, playing sports in its large backyard amidst a canopy of ash, linden, elm, box elder, plum, apple, and cherry trees. During high school he got up before dawn to work at his father's bakery, filled his days with academics and music, then enjoyed sports until sundown.

In 1942, James graduated from USD with a B.S. in Business Administration, receiving a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the Army & Marine Corps as an honor graduate of the ROTC program. He proudly served his country during WWII as an artillery officer in the Pacific theater, stationed in Bougainville, Guadalcanal, and Okinawa.

After graduating from USD Law School, James started practicing law in Kimball, SD, where he met and married Audrey Tronson on October 28, 1951. They moved to Highmore, SD in 1961, when James was elected Hyde County States Attorney . James and Audrey were active at Our Savior Lutheran Church, where he served on its building committee and loved singing in the choir. James retired in 1989, following 15 years as head legal counsel for the SD Department of Social Services.

James and Audrey raised four children: James Alert, Thomas Arden, Lori Anna, and Jeffrey Alan. They dedicated their lives to their children and grandchildren, and loved attending the many (mostly musical) events in their children's and grandchildren's lives. Upon Audrey's passing in 2006, James spent the last 2 years of his life in Mobridge, SD.

James is survived by his brothers, Glenn, Jack, and Don; children, Thomas (Cris), Lori Boyd, and Jeffrey (Ramona); and grandchildren, Erin and Christina Boyd; Kari, Alan, Julia, Andrew and Alison Owens.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Ellen and Dinsmore Owens, brothers Gene, Don and Dick; his sister Mary Ellen; his wife, Audrey; and his son, James.