James D. Herman
The memorial service for James D. Herman, 72, of Aberdeen, passed away Saturday, December 31, 2022, at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen, SD.
James (Jim) Daniel Herman was born February 5, 1950, the 3rd oldest of twelve children to LeVern “Clem” and Anna Marie (Frost) Herman in Hoven, SD. He was raised in the Tolstoy/Lebanon area until at the age of 4, his family moved to Aberdeen. He attended Lincoln Elementary, and Monroe Jr. High, where he met the “love of his life,” Kathleen Fix, at the age of 14.
Jim graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in May 1968. In August of that year, he joined the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Vietnam where he served from September 6, 1969, to September 1, 1970. While there, he served with the 630th Engineering Company LE (Light Equipment). He drove an earth mover, setting up and paving roads, bases, and LZs (landing zones). After his tour in Vietnam, he went back to Ft. Riley, KS, where he remained until his discharge from the Army in May 1971. He and Kathi then returned to Aberdeen, SD.
On August 1, 1969, Jim and Kathleen (Kathi) Fix were united in marriage at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Aberdeen. To this union, three children were born – Chad, Corey, and Jaimie.
Jim worked in the family business as a house mover. In his early house moving days during the winter months, he worked in dry wall and a tree cutting service. From 1985 to 1987, Jim left the house moving business to work as a Superintendent for Ron Rivett’s Super 8 Builders working on multiple hotel projects and the building of the Refuge Lounge in Aberdeen. In July of 1987, Jim went back to the house moving business and decided to buy it from his parents. Then in 1992, he formed the corporation, Herman House Moving, Inc. As President/Owner of Herman House Moving, Inc., he lived and breathed house moving. No job was “too big, too small, or too weird.” He worked as a house mover 24/7, until his beloved wife, Kathi, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2016. Kathi eventually needed his full-time care, so in 2018 he retired to care for her. Jim always said: “I never worked a day in my life,” because: “It is not work when you love what you do.”
In July 2021, he was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure. You would never have known he had cancer as he would receive his cancer treatments and would go to the nursing home to spend the rest of the day with Kathi, go home and mow his lawn, or work in the shop on anything and everything, including the race cars. Not much stopped him from trying to live his life, not even the battle against this disease. He was a fierce advocate for his wife, Kathi, and supported her fight against Alzheimer’s. He continued to loyally and lovingly care for her throughout his fight with cancer.
Jim was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Aberdeen, SD. Throughout his years with Herman House Moving, Inc., Jim was a very active member of Midstates House Movers Association, North Dakota Building Movers Association, and International Association of Structural Movers (IASM). He served as a Director on multiple boards for each of these associations and served as Vice-President and President of the IASM from 2013-2016. Jim looked forward to these meetings and conventions every year that were held throughout the USA. It was during these times, he and Kathi became lifelong friends with many house movers from around the world. Jim and Kathi loved to travel, and took many vacations with their children, his siblings and their spouses. Locations included: Las Vegas, Mexico, Alaska, Austria/Germany, and Caribbean & European cruises to name a few. Jim was able to strike a conversation with anyone around the world, and for some reason would always find people from South Dakota anywhere he went.
Jim enjoyed gardening and tinkering around with anything mechanical. He was an avid fisherman and went out on the pontoon with his grandkids enjoying the water and having a ball pulling them on tubes laughing the whole time. He would attend as many of his grandkids’ events as possible. This included soccer games, dance recitals, choir performances, karate belt testing, theatre performances, Grand-friends day, races, and much more.
In 2009, he began racing go-karts with his family. His love of racing was passed on to his granddaughters, Jaida and Sydnie, and eventually Jaida’s boyfriend, Matt. He spent many days and late nights making sure everything was just right for the race cars. You could find him every Friday night for the last 5 years in the pits at the Brown County Speedway, watching Jaida and Matt, helping anyone that needed it, and spending time with his family. His grandkids knew being at Grandpa’s house was always a blast, be it playing board games, taking a drive with Grandpa to Twist Cone for turtle bars in the “old Ford” on a summer day, teaching them how to “power drift” with the pickup in snow, or tinkering with vehicles. He added many wrinkles to the foreheads of his grandkids’ moms. He loved spending time with his grandchildren trying to pass on his knowledge and experience. Jim lived a carefree life and was always willing to lend a helping hand to family, friends, and even strangers.
Grateful for having shared Jim’s life are his wife: Kathleen Herman; children: Chad Herman (Nicole Nejezchleba), Corey (Anne) Herman and Jaimie (Ben) Roberts; grandchildren: Dominic Herman, Eric Herman, Lotus Herman, Jaida Sanderson (Matt Johnson), and Sydnie Sanderson; siblings: Linda Jensen, Calvin Herman, Richard (Geraldine) Herman, Col.(R) Michael Herman, John Herman, Robert (Kathleen) Herman, Nickole Herman (Dwight Syverson); sister-in-law: Connie Herman; brother-in-law: Steven Vance; mother-in-law: Rose Fix; many nieces and nephews; and his beloved dog Mac.
Preceding Jim in death are his parents: LeVern “Clem” & Anna Marie Herman; siblings: Ronald “Pete” Herman, Douglas Herman, Kathy Vance, and Scott Herman; and father-in-law: Adam C. Fix.