James Russell Bernhardt was born March 25, 1936 to Clarence and Amelia (Dahn) Bernhardt in rural Cross Plains on the Lange Place. When the Welke cousins got up in the morning, they found a baby boy in a wash basket, on the dining room table. He had a problem with blockage in his stomach and at 10 days old had surgery. He was baptized prior to the operation with Caroline Welke and Mrs. Henry Hessel as sponsors.

After Walter Welke's accident Jim's parents moved to Baraboo area and farmed. Later they moved to Springfield Hill area and experienced a tornado. The family then moved to Waverly, Iowa where Jim finished his schooling, got married and had a daughter, who pre deceased him at her birth. After Jim's mother was accidentally killed, he and his father moved to Merrimac where he ran a filling station.

Jim liked to tinker with tv's and radios. After the death of his father, Jim lived many years at the Welke farm and helped take care Carl and Aunt Caroline. After Carl's death, Jim developed Parkinson's Disease.

He was a sustaining member of Immanuel Lutheran Church of Merrimac.

His passing leaves to mourn, his cousins, Clarence Welke, Farlene Nelson, and Carol Tank along with other relatives and friends.

He spent the last years at Lodi Good Samaritan Home. He passed away April 25, 2020.

Private services will be held. Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Merrimac.