Obituary for James Franklin Harbaugh Jr.
Rev. James Franklin Harbaugh Jr.
August 15, 1954 - January 19, 2023
James Franklin Harbaugh Jr.'s spirit returned to the Lord on January 19, 2023 at 11:10 a.m. He died peacefully with his beloved wife and daughters at his side. He was 68 years old.
Jim was born on August 15, 1954, at Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, where his father, Jim Sr., was serving in the US Navy. After Jim Jr. was born, his family returned home to help with the family farm in Tuscola, Illinois. Siblings followed–a brother, Terry, in 1957 and sister, Cindy, in 1959. Jim graduated from Tuscola High School in 1972.
Jim held a bachelor's degree in music and a teaching certificate from Eastern Illinois University (1976), and a master of divinity from Christ Seminary Seminex (1981) in St. Louis, Missouri. He met his wife, Janice, while he was the choir director at Faith Lutheran Church, Manchester, Missouri. They shared a love of classical and chamber music, ministry, social justice, and Cardinals baseball. They were married on March 11, 1979, and had three daughters who were Jim's pride and joy: Christine, Maria, and Joanna.
Jim was a gifted singer and musician. He had perfect pitch and could tune any instrument flawlessly by ear. He lent his beautiful singing voice to the St. Louis Chamber Chorus, the Luren Singing Society in Decorah, Iowa, and countless church choirs. His family has fond memories of gathering around the piano after Christmas and Easter services to sing favorite hymns. (He much preferred this to the Rodgers and Hammerstein soundtracks his wife and daughters would sing loudly in the car on family road trips, but they did help keep him awake.)
At his 50th high school reunion last summer, Jim won an award for "Most Moves" since high school. His family counts at least 20. Jim's ministry and service to the Lord and His people was constant throughout his life, as a parishioner, a music and substitute teacher, a volunteer, and a pastor. On October 20, 2001, he was ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) at Immanuel Lutheran in Dixon, Illinois, by Bishop Gary Wollersheim. His ministry included calls to 11 congregations from 1980 to 2020:
● Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Carmel, Indiana (vicar)
● Riverton-Hnausa Lutheran Church in Riverton, Manitoba, Canada (intern)
● Faith Lutheran Church in Forreston, Illinois
● First Lutheran Church in Ohio, Illinois
● St. John’s and St. Olaf Lutheran Churches in Belmond, Iowa
● St. Paul Lutheran Church in Renwick, Iowa
● Trinity Lutheran Church in Hawkeye, Iowa
● Zion Lutheran Church in Castalia, Iowa
● St. John’s and St. Paul Lutheran Churches in Guttenberg, Iowa
He was also a longtime member of The Society of the Holy Trinity (www.societyholytrinity.org).
Jim retired from the ELCA in 2020, and he and Jan moved to Roseville, Minnesota, to be near their four grandchildren. In retirement, Jim and Jan faithfully streamed morning and evening prayer to social media each day in order to continue their ministry. They also became active members of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
Jim was often a man of few words, but he had plenty to say about sports (especially baseball and his favorite teams: the White Sox, Cardinals, Bulls, and Bears), politics, social justice, religion, and liturgy. He was a ferocious and insatiable learner and leaves behind a massive library with his initials written in black ballpoint pen on the top edge of every book in his impressively small, neat handwriting. He was never without a book. He loved a good pun (and, especially, a bad pun). Sometimes these were met with laughs; often they were met with groans and eyerolls; and sometimes they flew over everyone’s heads. His eyes would twinkle and he would laugh his big, infectious laugh anyway. No matter what, we often ended up laughing right along with him.
Jim is preceded in death by his parents, James Sr. and Ethel Harbaugh, and his brother-in-law, Mike Ekstrom. He is survived by his brother, Terry (Rhonda), and sister, Cindy; his wife, Janice; his daughters Christine, Maria (Dan), and Joanna (Adam); and four beloved grandchildren: Charlotte (12), Ellie (9), Davey (6), and Jamie (6).
A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday, January 27, 2023 at 11:00 am with visitation one hour prior. Reception with the family to follow. The service will be live streamed on YouTube and recorded for friends and loved ones across the country who are unable to travel. Funeral of Jim Harbaugh
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Jim’s memory to Lutheran World Relief, Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Midwest Workers Association or The Society of the Holy Trinity.
Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
Gill Brothers 612-861-6088
www.gillbrothers.com
August 15, 1954 - January 19, 2023
James Franklin Harbaugh Jr.'s spirit returned to the Lord on January 19, 2023 at 11:10 a.m. He died peacefully with his beloved wife and daughters at his side. He was 68 years old.
Jim was born on August 15, 1954, at Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, where his father, Jim Sr., was serving in the US Navy. After Jim Jr. was born, his family returned home to help with the family farm in Tuscola, Illinois. Siblings followed–a brother, Terry, in 1957 and sister, Cindy, in 1959. Jim graduated from Tuscola High School in 1972.
Jim held a bachelor's degree in music and a teaching certificate from Eastern Illinois University (1976), and a master of divinity from Christ Seminary Seminex (1981) in St. Louis, Missouri. He met his wife, Janice, while he was the choir director at Faith Lutheran Church, Manchester, Missouri. They shared a love of classical and chamber music, ministry, social justice, and Cardinals baseball. They were married on March 11, 1979, and had three daughters who were Jim's pride and joy: Christine, Maria, and Joanna.
Jim was a gifted singer and musician. He had perfect pitch and could tune any instrument flawlessly by ear. He lent his beautiful singing voice to the St. Louis Chamber Chorus, the Luren Singing Society in Decorah, Iowa, and countless church choirs. His family has fond memories of gathering around the piano after Christmas and Easter services to sing favorite hymns. (He much preferred this to the Rodgers and Hammerstein soundtracks his wife and daughters would sing loudly in the car on family road trips, but they did help keep him awake.)
At his 50th high school reunion last summer, Jim won an award for "Most Moves" since high school. His family counts at least 20. Jim's ministry and service to the Lord and His people was constant throughout his life, as a parishioner, a music and substitute teacher, a volunteer, and a pastor. On October 20, 2001, he was ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) at Immanuel Lutheran in Dixon, Illinois, by Bishop Gary Wollersheim. His ministry included calls to 11 congregations from 1980 to 2020:
● Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Carmel, Indiana (vicar)
● Riverton-Hnausa Lutheran Church in Riverton, Manitoba, Canada (intern)
● Faith Lutheran Church in Forreston, Illinois
● First Lutheran Church in Ohio, Illinois
● St. John’s and St. Olaf Lutheran Churches in Belmond, Iowa
● St. Paul Lutheran Church in Renwick, Iowa
● Trinity Lutheran Church in Hawkeye, Iowa
● Zion Lutheran Church in Castalia, Iowa
● St. John’s and St. Paul Lutheran Churches in Guttenberg, Iowa
He was also a longtime member of The Society of the Holy Trinity (www.societyholytrinity.org).
Jim retired from the ELCA in 2020, and he and Jan moved to Roseville, Minnesota, to be near their four grandchildren. In retirement, Jim and Jan faithfully streamed morning and evening prayer to social media each day in order to continue their ministry. They also became active members of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
Jim was often a man of few words, but he had plenty to say about sports (especially baseball and his favorite teams: the White Sox, Cardinals, Bulls, and Bears), politics, social justice, religion, and liturgy. He was a ferocious and insatiable learner and leaves behind a massive library with his initials written in black ballpoint pen on the top edge of every book in his impressively small, neat handwriting. He was never without a book. He loved a good pun (and, especially, a bad pun). Sometimes these were met with laughs; often they were met with groans and eyerolls; and sometimes they flew over everyone’s heads. His eyes would twinkle and he would laugh his big, infectious laugh anyway. No matter what, we often ended up laughing right along with him.
Jim is preceded in death by his parents, James Sr. and Ethel Harbaugh, and his brother-in-law, Mike Ekstrom. He is survived by his brother, Terry (Rhonda), and sister, Cindy; his wife, Janice; his daughters Christine, Maria (Dan), and Joanna (Adam); and four beloved grandchildren: Charlotte (12), Ellie (9), Davey (6), and Jamie (6).
A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday, January 27, 2023 at 11:00 am with visitation one hour prior. Reception with the family to follow. The service will be live streamed on YouTube and recorded for friends and loved ones across the country who are unable to travel. Funeral of Jim Harbaugh
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Jim’s memory to Lutheran World Relief, Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Midwest Workers Association or The Society of the Holy Trinity.
Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
Gill Brothers 612-861-6088
www.gillbrothers.com