Luella "Bea" James

Private family services for Bea James, age 98, of North Mankato will be held at Hosanna Lutheran Church. Pastor Steve Kosberg will be officiating. Burial will be held at Minneopa Cemetery. Mankato Mortuary will handle arrangements. 

Bea James was born in Colville, Washington, 1926, one of six children to Albert and Ruth Gumm. When she was an infant, her parents moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where she grew up. At 18 years of age, Bea went to Seattle to workfor Boeing during WWII. After that, she worked at the Farragut Naval base in Sandpoint, Idaho. Moving back to Coeur d’Alene, Bea met Don James and they were married in 1946. They had four daughters. Bea cooked for North Idaho College for several years. In 1974, Don and Bea moved to North Mankato, Minnesota. There, Bea sewed draperies for Pearson Interiors and later worked at Carlson Craft. She retired at age 83. 

Bea went to heaven on August 17, 2024. She is survived by her daughters, Jerri Lee Owen (Marlin) of La Mirada, California; Carol Glade (Joel) of North Mankato, Minnesota; Kathryn Fischer of Eugene, Oregon, 10 grandchildren and 14 great- grandchildren. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters, brother, husband, Don, and daughter, Jan. 

Her love gifts to her family included much sewing, cooking, and baking. She will be missed and never forgotten.