James O. Iverson, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, the 17th of September at the age of 83. Born on February 6th, 1941, in Albert Lea, Minnesota, from the beginning he was always the rambunctious, stubborn and adventure loving soul. He loved to tell stories of growing hunting with family and friends, swimming in the quarries, and reading about the world. After graduating from Albert Lea High School in 1959, as a record setting quarterback, he took inspiration from his favorite authors and set off to travel as much as he could.

James O. Iverson

He would say his favorite things were the sounds of train whistles, being by the ocean, and the sight of the distant horizon that always called for him to wander and travel. Never to just do one thing or stay in one place, he did everything from working with the Rock Island Railroad, enlisting in the United States Air Force, working as a “Repo Man” in Los Angeles to training with Western Airlines where, in 1966, he met his Soul Mate and the love of his life, Barbara Jo; and after a whirlwind two week romance they began a 58 year life together where they hardly ever left each other’s side. In all those years, he continued to be an innovator and dreamer, creating The People Place, one of the first groundbreaking employment agencies of its time and doing everything from corporate headhunting to apartment management. Always in The Search, he traveled the country with his family, living in more places than you can count, from Hawaii, to the coast of California, to Tahoe where more often than not you could him find him fishing for rainbow trout. And through it all Jim and Barbara Jo were together.

He is preceded in death by his father, Carroll, and his mother, Gertrude. He is survived by his loving wife, Barbara Jo; his children, Darci and Wade; his four grandchildren; his two brothers and sister.

Jim’s remains were cremated and will eventually be spread in the Pacific Ocean that he loved so much. A small viewing was conducted with his immediate family, which were his wishes. Anyone who knew him knows he loved talking and telling stories, often with his head thrown back with a deep laugh that could make anyone smile. He loved to talk with his family, friends, fishing buddies, and really anyone including strangers, having long deep conversations in a moment’s notice. In his memoriam, in lieu of flowers or donations, people who knew him are encouraged to post stories at https://neptunesociety.com/obituaries/golden-valley-mn/james-iverson-11997628 and remember James Oliver as he explores that next horizon.