James Edwin Horak Jr.

James Edwin Horak Jr. 87, of Dell Rapids, formerly of Brookings died Friday, October 26, 2007 at the Dells Area Health Center. Memorial services will begin at 2:00 pm Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Dell Rapids. Interment of the cremated remain will be at a later date at the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, SD.

James Edwin Horak was born August 4, 1920 at Superior, Wisconsin to parents James Edwin and Emma (McKee) Horak. He moved with his family to St. Francis, Minnesota, where he graduated from St. Francis High School and later moved to Worthington, Minnesota.

James married Margaret Luxen August 9, 1941 at Worthington, Minnesota. James and his two brothers enlisted into the service during World War II, where he served in the United States Army Air Corps as a pilot. After his discharge they lived in Austin, Minnesota, Rapid City and Brookings, South Dakota, where he worked as a salesman in the hardware and sporting goods business. After their retirement they moved to Florida. In the spring of 2007 they moved to Dell Rapids.

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Margaret, Dell Rapids; his children, Ronda (Dave) Reimers, Gilford, NH; James (Claudia) Horak III, Cape Coral, FL; Carol (Mick Boyles) Horak, Dell Rapids; three grandchildren, Kimberly (Richard) Sola, Kristel (Michael)Acre, and Thomas (Kirsten) Horak; four great grandchildren, Kelly Sola, Christopher Sola, Gillian Horak and Sonia Horak; Mick’s daughter, Brooklyn Boyles; a brother, William Horak, Worthington, MN; and a sister, Muriel (John) Murphy, Mission, TX.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Richard, who was killed in action during World War II.