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James A. Danekas, age 67, Wilton, CA, formerly of Raymond, died peacefully in the Sutter Memorial Hospital late Monday night, February 9, 2015 in Sacramento from complications due to heart surgery.
Visitation will be held Thursday, February 19, 2015 from 5-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark.
Services will be held on in South Dakota Friday, February 20, 2015 at 11:00 AM in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark. Greg Furness will be the funeral facilitator with Mercedes Danekas-Lohse giving the eulogy. Casketbearers will be Steve & Gene Danekas, Gary Leis, Matt Lohse, Peter Koelsch and Butch Booker. Burial...
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James A. Danekas, age 67, Wilton, CA, formerly of Raymond, died peacefully in the Sutter Memorial Hospital late Monday night, February 9, 2015 in Sacramento from complications due to heart surgery.
Visitation will be held Thursday, February 19, 2015 from 5-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark.
Services will be held on in South Dakota Friday, February 20, 2015 at 11:00 AM in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark. Greg Furness will be the funeral facilitator with Mercedes Danekas-Lohse giving the eulogy. Casketbearers will be Steve & Gene Danekas, Gary Leis, Matt Lohse, Peter Koelsch and Butch Booker. Burial with full military rites following in the Prairie Valley Cemetery at Raymond.
James (Jim) A. Danekas was born in Watertown, South Dakota in 1947 to Walter and Valois Danekas. He grew up in the farming community of Raymond, South Dakota where he attended both grade school and high school. Jim graduated from Raymond High School as salutatorian in 1965. He was the oldest of five children with one brother and three sisters. Through his years in Raymond he was very active on his family’s farm, Blue Top Angus Farm. There he assisted with the family’s Angus cattle and various crops that they grew. As a member of the local 4-H, he raised and exhibited many market steers and breeding heifers which resulted in many awards along the way. This background helped develop a strong passion for agriculture in his heart.
Jim left his hometown of Raymond to move to Brookings, South Dakota to attend South Dakota State University. There he was a member of the Farmhouse Fraternity and put his passion for cattle and the agricultural industry to use as manager of the Little International Livestock show hosted by SDSU. Upon graduation in 1969, he enlisted himself in the United States Army where he was stationed in Alaska. Jim was discharged in 1972 and soon after accepted the title of manager of the Western States Angus Association taking him to California. This position helped him learn the ways of a livestock sales manager and auction ring man which would be invaluable as he later started his own entity, James Danekas and Associates. Not long after moving to California he met his bride through a cattle industry event, Sherry Houseworth, and were married on July 29, 1978. Soon after they started their family having two daughters; Danielle born in December of 1979 and Mercedes born in December of 1981 and they all lived in the Sacramento area of California.
Working together, Jim and Sherry made James Danekas and Associates grow beyond just a sales management team with the incorporation of a publication division that grew by the year. They published the California Cattlemen Magazine and the Angus, the Magazine. Later they would move on from one publication to start another; Western Cowman. Over the years Jim traveled all over the country, especially the western states, managing purebred cattle auctions and representing the publications at numerous events. The addition of yet another publication resulted in three which are currently produced to this day; the Western Cowman, Angus Icon and Wagyu World. Jim worked with his wife Sherry in the family business and in the last four years was joined by his youngest daughter, Mercedes.
Jim and his family also raised purebred Angus cattle. These animals were exhibited and sold all over the country with much success. As an Angus breeder himself growing up, Jim has been involved in the cattle industry for over 50 years which led to some very strong ties especially in the Angus community all over the United States. He was a member of the National Western Club, on the Livestock Publications Council Board, a longtime member and director of the Western States Angus Association, a lifetime member of the American Angus Association, along with involvement on many numerous boards and associations, all in which were associated with the cattle industry.
Throughout his life, Jim struggled with a heart condition in which he was born with and later resulted in his passing on February 9th, 2015 at the Sacramento Sutter Memorial Hospital after complications due to a heart surgery. He was surrounded by his wife, daughters, sister and brother in law, and close friends. In the last few years Jim enjoyed watching his favorite baseball team, the SF Giants, drinking Pina coladas, working nonstop and watching his Angus cows graze the pastures on his ranch in Wilton. He and wife Sherry, until recently, worked side by side at each and every venture that their lives brought to them, making for a successful and blissful 36 years of marriage. He will forever be remembered as a legend in the cattle industry, an honest friend, hard worker and a loving and devoted husband and father.
Survivors include his wife Sherry Danekas of Wilton, CA, daughters, Danielle Danekas of Sacramento and Mercedes (Matt) Danekas-Lohse of Wilton, CA, his mother, Valois "Frenchy" Danekas of Clark, siblings, Gene (Phyllis) Danekas of Greenville, SC, Janet Koelsch of Mendota Heights, MN, Judy (Jeff) Callaway of Rapid City and Ruth (Gary) Leis of Irving, TX, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Preceding him in death was his father, Walt Danekas.
Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com
BIOGRAPHY
James Albert Danekas was born on August 4th 1947 in Watertown, South Dakota. He grew up in the small town of Raymond, South Dakota with his parents; father the late Walter Danekas and his mother Valois (DesLauriers) Danekas who currently resides in Clark, South Dakota. James, better known as Jim, was the oldest of five children; brother Gene and sisters; Janet, Judy and Ruth. Growing up, Jim assisted his father on their family farm helping with their herd of Angus cattle and farming various crops. He attended the Raymond grade school and high school. He was very active in the local 4-H, raising and showing market steers for county fair and breeding heifers to return to the family herd. He also enjoyed playing on the high school basketball team which was just the beginning of his love for sports. Jim graduated from the Raymond high school in 1965 and graduated with honors as Salutatorian. He left the town of Raymond for Brookings, South Dakota to attend South Dakota State University to study Animal Science. He was a member of the Farmhouse fraternity and assisted as manager of the Little International Livestock show at SDSU. During the summer months of his college career, you could find Jim on the cattle show road assisting various farms with the Hereford or Angus cattle all over the Midwest.
Jim graduated from South Dakota State University in 1969 and then enlisted in the United States Army. He was stationed in Alaska and was with the Army for a couple of years before being discharged in May of 1972. Soon after, he accepted the job as Manager of the Western States Angus Association which took him to California outside of the Sacramento area. Within this position, he traveled all over the Western States meeting Angus breeders from all parts and attending numerous Angus shows and auctions. While attending the Cow Palace Grand National in San Francisco he met a young lady who was also involved within the Western cattle industry with a love for Angus cattle. This young gal was Sherry Houseworth from Southern California. On July 29, 1978 they married and started their lives together in the Sacramento area. At this point in time, the Western States Angus Association changed their structure and with that Jim saw an opportunity to start a venture of his own with his wife and it is known today as James Danekas and Associates. This entailed publishing a regional Angus magazine; Angus, the Magazine and managing purebred Angus auctions all over the West and Midwestern states. They soon started their family with the birth of their first child in December of 1979; daughter Danielle. Two years later they had another child in December of 1981; daughter Mercedes.
Through the years Jim published the monthly Angus magazine and also acquired the responsibilities of publishing the California Cattleman Magazine, also a monthly publication. Years later Jim and Sherry stepped away from the California Cattleman Magazine and began a new publication the Western Cowman which is received by both commercial and purebred cattlemen of all breeds throughout the West. As a family, they also raised their own herd of Angus cattle as it was running in both Jim and Sherry’s blood. Their program is known as Pheasant Trek and has produced numerous champions in National Angus Shows across the country. Over the years, Jim’s sales management division only grew to include bull sales, female sales, and fancy show heifer prospect sales and included numerous breeds, even Wagyu cattle. James Danekas and Assoc. managed the first ever Wagyu production sale in the United States. Years went by with many successes in business with yet another publication known as the Wagyu World.
James also loved to travel. Beyond all of his travels for business, he had the opportunity to visit almost every Caribbean island, Holland, Argentina, Canada and Mexico. As mentioned he had a love for sports being a many year season ticket holder for the Sacramento Kings basketball team and was able to go to many baseball games throughout the years. His biggest love was watching his two girls play their softball games as they were both very good and had his competitive spirit. He was an avid San Francisco Giants baseball fan and in the win of the 2014 World Series he was able to attend one of the series games. His most favorite days was a great day at the office and coming home to his wife Sherry where she had prepared a wonderful meal in which they ate while watching their beautiful Angus cows graze the pastures. In the summer he took care of irrigation on the ranch and enjoyed the evenings watching his wife water the flowers as he counted the tomatoes on the plant, knowing where each and every one was. He started his mornings feeding their chickens and was always excited to learn how many eggs they laid each day. At work he was very meticulous especially in the last five years as his daughter Mercedes joined the team learning his ways. In his last year, he had many enjoyments; he walked Mercedes down the aisle to marry his son in law, Matthew Lohse, he managed an auction that grossed over one million dollars, started an international publication, got to attend three San Francisco Giants games including the World Series, took a ride in a glider plane, visit close friends at cabins and houseboats, and spend the holidays with his mother. In the beginning of 2015 his long battle of surviving a bad heart became too much on his body and left the World on February 9 with his wife, daughters, son-in-law, sister Ruth and her husband Gary, and office manager Leah by his side. He is a legend in the cattle industry, especially in the Angus family and he will forever be known as one of the best sales managers and cattlemen to be known.
Survivors include his wife Sherry Danekas of Wilton, CA, daughters, Danielle Danekas of Sacramento and Mercedes (Matt) Danekas-Lohse of Wilton, CA, his mother, Valois "Frenchy" Danekas of Clark, siblings, Gene (Phyllis) Danekas of Greenville, SC, Janet Koelsch of Mendota Heights, MN, Judy (Jeff) Callaway of Rapid City and Ruth (Gary) Leis of Irving, TX, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Preceding him in death was his father, Walt Danekas.
Funeral arrangements will be announced by the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com
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