James R. Thrift, age 86, of Waverly died, Thursday, December 18, 2025, at Good Samaritan Home in Howard Lake.

Memorial Services will be held 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Delano with Pastor Zach Flunker officiating. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday at the church. Burial with military honors will held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 31, 2025 at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery, Assembly Area 2.

James Ray Thrift was born on April 13, 1939, to Arvil and Treva (Shadd) Thrift in Howe, Oklahoma. He lived there with his family until they moved to California for a short time from 1941 to 1944. At that time, they moved back to Oklahoma. In 1950, Treva died of cancer and in 1952, Arvil died in an automobile accident. Jim and his two brothers went to live with Arvil's parents, Helen and Ray Thrift, and Jim's two sisters went to live with another relative.

At the age of 17, Jim enlisted in the United States Air Force (with a slightly altered date of birth on his records) and served at James Connally Air Force Base in Waco, Texas. During his time in the Air Force, he attained his GED. On a weekend leave, Jim took a road trip with a friend in a loaner vehicle up to Minnesota where he met Patricia Guetzkow. The two were married on July 7, 1958, on the base in Waco, Texas.

After his honorable discharge in 1960, the couple moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota for a short time and then to Watertown, Minnesota where they lived in the upper story of Slippery's Bar. They also lived in Chaska, Minnesota for a few years from 1963-1967. During these years, Jim did many odd jobs to make a living and also suffered a back injury which put him out of commission for a while.

In 1967, Jim and Pat moved to Waverly, Minnesota with their family and a short while later Jim began working at Tonka Bay Boat Works in Wayzata, Minnesota as a boat mechanic. He then took a job at Minnetonka Bay in Excelsior, Minnesota also doing boat mechanic work. In 1977, Jim began working as a self-employed boat mechanic in Hudson, Wisconsin. During that time, he lived in his own camper on the St. Croix River near St. Croix Marina, where he would service boats. Many times, Jim's older children would wax or clean the houseboats while he repaired them.

In 1980, he began driving semi-truck for Nationwide Trucking, Maple Plain, Minnesota and then for Schanno Transportation, St. Paul, Minnesota and B.J. Transport, Afton, Minnesota. During his trucking years he traveled all over the nation. On June 2, 1987, he took his first trip in his own truck, and continued to put on the miles, over a million at least in that truck. He retired from trucking in 2009 while he was struggling with several types of cancer. He continued to live at home in Waverly and tinker with clocks and collect/sell antiques with Pat on eBay which they had been doing for a number of years. After a slow decline in his health, and the return of his cancer in early 2024, Jim entered the care of the Good Samaritan Home in Howard Lake, Minnesota.

Jim was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Montrose, Minnesota, where he was baptized and confirmed on June 29, 1975. Through the years, Jim loved working on vintage clocks in his basement clock shop. At the turn of the hour, their home was a cacophony of clocks chiming, pausing conversation until silence fell and only ticking remained. In his later years, he waited eagerly for the warm summer months when he could sit in his driveway, smoke his pipe, and visit with anyone who passed by. He repaired many bicycles for grandchildren, neighborhood kids, or anyone who needed one. He and Pat kept a beautiful yard for many years, their red backyard bridge will be remembered by many.

Jim is survived by his children, Denise (Marc) Acciani, Tory (Jon) Thompson, Yancey Thrift (John Andreasen), Tammy Jolicoeur, Treva (Rollie) Epple, and Damon Thrift; 11 grandchildren, Dannylle Milford, Shawna (Justin) Traver, Tara (Bryan) Whoop, Christopher (Ruby) Voight, Jacob (Augusta) Thrift, Randy Jolicoeur, Ashley Jolicoeur, Elliot (Melissa) Epple, Calleigh (Daniel) Stavig, Lewis (Jenna) Epple, and Wyatt (Maggie) Epple; 26 great-grandchildren; siblings, Mary (Gerald) Willingham and Lynda Hicks; and other family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Patricia; and siblings, Charles Williams and Clayton Thrift.

Arrangements entrusted to Dingmann Funeral Care Burial and Cremation Services of Annandale.

Obituary, Guestbook, Video Tribute, and Service Webcast online at www.dingmannfuneral.com