James A. Thurston

James Arthur Thurston, 87, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, at GracePoint Crossing in Cambridge, Minnesota, on November 4, 2021. Jim was born on December 13, 1933 in St. Paul, Minnesota to Arthur and Julia (O'Brien) Thurston. Jim was a devoted husband of 59 years to his beloved wife Rose, who preceded him in death. He is survived by his children, Deborah (James) Thurston, Kevin (Karen) Thurston, Cindy Thurston, and Kelle (Paul) Madigan; and his four grandchildren, Cathleen Carnahan, Benjamin Carnahan, Mahala Haughn and Finn Haughn; brother, Michael (Ann) Thurston. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Barbara Freund; and his twin brother, Jerry Thurston. Jim loved his family and dedicated himself to them, instilling in his children the importance of hard work and responsibility. He was extremely proud of his service in the Navy during the Korean War and of his career at Koch Refining. In his later years, he loved spending extra time with family, visiting his grandchildren, fishing, playing cards and tending to his many bird feeders. The family would like to thank Jim's second family at GracePoint Crossing, whose amazing caregivers showed him such infinite compassion and helped the entire family make this difficult transition in such a loving way. A celebration of Jim's life 10:30 AM Thursday May 19th with visitation beginning at 10 AM at Roberts Family Funeral Home, Forest Lake. Interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.