James Ray Duerksen, 74, passed away Sunday, May 12, 2019.

James was born in Yankton, SD on August 17, 1944 to Albert and Lydia (Koehn) Duerksen.

After high school James joined the US Navy and proudly served during the Vietnam War era.

James enjoyed fishing and spending time with his family and his grandchildren.

He is survived by his son, Christopher (Christine) Duerksen and their children, Ben, Mary, and Nathan all of Bridgewater; daughter, Roxanne (Craig) Reynolds and her daughter, Tesha (Nicolai) Boysen and their children, Makenna, Lane, Eden, and Olivia, all of Graham, WA; brothers, Jerry (Janice) , Jack (Sharlene), Larry (Diane), and Loren (Marcia) Duerksen; and sister, LuAnn (Ron) Vogel.

James was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Lydia (Koehn) Duerksen; sisters, Lois Duerksen, JoAnn (Randy) Tschetter, and Jean Duerksen.

Graveside services will be held at 1 pm, Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.

In lieu of flowers, cards may be sent to Christopher Duerksen, 800 SD Hwy 262, Bridgewater, SD 57319.