James “Jim” Eugene Gruenwald, 85, of Redfield, SD, passed away surrounded by family on Friday, October 17, 2025, at Community Memorial Hospital in Redfield.
A scriptural prayer service, time of sharing, and rosary will begin at 5:00 PM on Thursday, October 23, at Hyke Funeral Home in Redfield. Visitation will follow until 7:00 PM, with family present. After the visitation, please join the family for a gathering at Chrystal’s with food and refreshments.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 AM on Friday, October 24, 2025, at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Redfield. Reverend Brian Eckrich will officiate. Inurnment will follow the service at St. Bernard’s Catholic Cemetery in Redfield. Lunch will then be served at the Spink County 4-H Building in Redfield.
The services on Thursday and the funeral Mass on Friday will be live-streamed through a link on the funeral home’s website below Jim’s obituary. Hyke Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements (www.hykefuneralhome.com).
James “Jim” Eugene Gruenwald affectionally known as “The Milkman”, “Jimbo” or “Big Jim” was born May 8, 1940, in Aberdeen, SD to James and Ruby (Hardie) Gruenwald. His first years were spent on a farm east of Zell until January 1947 when the family moved into town and his parents took over the Zell bar from Mary Weiss. He attended St. Mary’s Parochial School in Zell until the 8th grade and then graduated from Redfield High School in 1959 where he played football and track. Jim also spent many days during his childhood on his grandparents’ farm, Wilhelm and Ida Hardie. This time he cherished and often talked about how much he enjoyed it and missed them. He started his boxing career on the Zell boxing team. His dad and Dick Fisher from Cresbard coached the team who practiced either in the back of the bar or in the Zell dance hall. His “claim to fame” was being one fight away from fighting Cassius Clay at the 1960 Golden Gloves tournament in Chicago which inspired four “My Dad Almost Fought Muhammad Ali” t-shirts along with many other friends and family who wanted to join in on the fun. But Dad was humble and never cared about talking about himself much. He hung up his boxing gloves after that, opting for a more laid-back life.
He married Margaret Mary Leesch on May 30, 1961, and together they raised four daughters in Redfield, SD. Jim worked hard providing for his family. First off at Harry’s Egg Station and then started his career as a door-to-door milkman for Terrace Park Dairy, a job he was very proud of collecting various Terrace Park Dairy souvenirs through the years. Terrace Park Dairy eventually became Gillette Dairy, and the door-to-door service was stopped. He still enjoyed delivering milk to the various businesses in and around Redfield and visiting with customers all along the way. Many times, his daughters accompanied him on his milk routes – times they cherish in their memories. After Gillette Dairy sold out Jim went to work at SDDC and then the Spink County Highway Department until he became custodian at the Spink County Courthouse. He took great pride in the whole courthouse and worked hard to make sure the yard and building were immaculate.
Jim was a top-notch pitcher for many fastpitch softball teams. Each weekend Jim and Margaret loaded up their girls and travelled to many cities throughout the state playing in tournaments. So many lifelong friends and unforgettable memories were made during these summers. He was inducted into the South Dakota Softball Hall of Fame in 1998. He started playing for Zell in 1958 at 18 years of age. In 1964-1967 he played for Weeds of Redfield. In 1968 he started pitching for the team that made his name famous in Northeast South Dakota, the Redfield Sales Fastpitch team. He pitched for Redfield Sales for the next 15 years, winning numerous leagues and local tourney titles. Tourney titles that Big Jim, The Milkman won included Big Stone City, Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, Britton, Watertown, Huron Bales, Mobridge, Ortonville, Clark, Milbank and Redfield. In Aberdeen in 1973 he pitched back-to-back shutouts. And in Watertown in 1967 he pitched 27 innings striking out 44. Although he never won a state tourney, Jim and his Redfield Sales team did get second in 1969 and 1970 during the hay day of fastpitch in South Dakota. In 1969 Jim received the Francis Pappy Tennyson Memorial Trophy for outstanding pitcher of the state tourney. In 1987 Jim played in his only National tourney when he played in the ASA Men’s Masters in Fargo, ND. Just within the last couple of years he was asked to help with the Redfield Pheasant girl’s fast pitch team training them how to pitch. He lived for these times on the softball field giving pointers and teaching those young girls the skill. He threw out their inaugural pitch at the first ever game at the Redfield softball diamond on April 13, 2024.
As their daughters grew up and had their own families Jim and Meg became their grandkids’ biggest fans. They were some of the biggest Redfield Pheasant and Northwestern Wildcat fans around. They travelled throughout the United States watching grandkids playing in college as well. Eventually, great grandkids came along and gave Jim and Meg a whole new feeling of love and pride. Jim’s woodworking developed into quite a hobby after retirement. He loved making handmade gifts for friends and family. Every grandchild and great grandchild received a hand carved wooden name plate within hours of their birth. They will be cherished forever by those who received them. He was never as proud as when all the family was together, and he could see all him and Margaret had created.
Jim’s favorite time of year was pheasant hunting season. For as long as his girls can remember hunters came back to spend the week with their family in Redfield and Jim and Meg were always gracious hosts. His hunting family was as special as his real family, and he loved them dearly. Those surviving him from his hunting family are Mike Myers, Bill Galliker, Kevin Galliker, Jim Wallen and Rich Weiss. Those who he never forgot from his hunting family who passed before him were Jack Weiss, Pat Weiss, Delbert Weiss and Rapheal Weiss. Their pictures line the walls of his garage where many (or not so many) birds were cleaned, where stories were told and many laughs were had.
Preceding Jim in death was his wife, Margaret on September 20, 2022, Son, William James Gruenwald – January 16, 1966; Granddaughter, Trisha Marie (Forgey) Whitley; Great grandchild, Baby Buer; Brother, John Gruenwald; Brothers-in-law, Donald (Kayo) Bohl, Arthur Schaffer, and Jerry Hansen; and Sisters-in-law, Holly Leesch and Barbara Schaffer.
Grateful for sharing his life are his four daughters Diane (Scott) Forgey and Dawn (Roger) Waldner, both of Redfield; Susan (Rick Beidler) Baxter of Rockham and Sara (Daniel) Peterson of Northville. Grandchildren: Aubrey (Gerrit) Schuurmans, Dana (Nathan) Buer, Dr. Randall (Stephanie) Waldner, Rikki (Marty) Delaney, Rachel (Joshua) Meyer, Megan (William) Rozell, Blaise (Shelby) Baxter, Danielle (Sara DeSmet) Waldner, Jordon (Nicholas) Esser and Dalton Peterson. Great Grandchildren: Dylan, Mason and Adrian Whitley, Gerrit and Kolbie Schuurmans, Kamryn and Sutton Buer, Soren and Zollie Waldner and baby Waldner due in December 2025, Madisyn, Jett and Maryn Delaney, Hayden, Weston and Teagan Rozell, Blakely Baxter, Ryne and Kenna Esser. Siblings: Joan Bohl of Brentford; Judy (Richard) Fredrickson of Zell; Jolene (Nick) Rude of Redfield; In-laws: Barbara Gruenwald of Nashville, Tennessee; Angela Hansen of Redfield; Ernest Leesch of Sioux Falls and Deborah Leesch of Redfield; and many special nieces and nephews.
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