James 'Ole' M. Oberpriller

James Michael “Ole” Oberpriller (73) of Hot Springs, South Dakota, passed away peacefully at his home on October 6, 2026, after a three-year battle with cancer.

Jim was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 21, 1953, to Lawrence John and Shirley Ann (Parsons) Oberpriller. Over the next five years, he welcomed three younger siblings—Margaret, Sally, and Paul—and the family moved to Hot Springs, South Dakota, which would become Jim’s lifelong home.

Jim graduated from Hot Springs High School in 1971. He later attended North Texas State University in Denton, Texas, and Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska. After traveling and exploring, Jim realized that his true home would always be the Black Hills, and more specifically, Hot Springs, where he became deeply woven into the fabric of the community.

Jim was proud to serve his community and the veterans in the area through his work at the Hot Springs VA Medical Center in Nutrition and Food Services, where he prepared meals for our nation’s veterans. He devoted 41 years to the VA before retiring. Even after retirement, Jim continued to serve those around him in countless ways, always willing to help as a neighbor, friend, brother, uncle, and family member. He would gladly drop whatever he was doing to help someone he loved.

Jim loved reading, gardening, cooking, music, and spending time with family and friends. Those who knew him well knew they would automatically lose if they faced him in a game of Trivial Pursuit or chess. He was a voracious reader and could easily read multiple books in a week. He also inherited his mother’s green thumb and took great pride in his large garden, enjoying the simple pleasure of watching things grow.

Jim had a quiet, gentle spirit. He showed his love not through grand gestures, but simply through his presence. He was the kind of person who could make others feel cared for just by being there. He will be deeply missed by all who loved him, but his presence and memory will remain in the hearts of his family and friends forever.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Shirley Oberpriller, and his nephew, Andrew Ford.

He is survived by his siblings, Margaret (Scott) Cordts of Huron, South Dakota; Sally Ford of North Las Vegas, Nevada; and Paul (Kim) Oberpriller of Hot Springs, South Dakota.

He is also survived by his nieces and nephews: Cristin (Brook) Fischer of Papillion, Nebraska; Alyssa (Chris) Cordts of St. Paul, Minnesota; Brian (BreAnna) Ford of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Mallory (Lance) Linderman of Timber Lake, South Dakota; and Jacob (Christina) Oberpriller of Arvada, Colorado; as well as six great-nephews and three great-nieces—Brenden, Corbin, Milo, Maverick, Cade, Dane, Mia, Isla, and Iliza.

Also honoring Jim’s memory are his close friend Julie Miller and her family, and his honorary granddaughter, Roxas Miller.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 538 University Avenue, Hot Springs, South Dakota. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral service. A committal service will follow the funeral service at Evergreen Cemetery in Hot Springs.

Ole will be remembered for his gentle spirit, generous heart, quiet sense of humor, love of learning, and unwavering willingness to help others. Most of all, he will be remembered simply for being Ole—someone whose presence made life a little better for the people fortunate enough to know and love him.