James Denholm, 94, of Peoria, IL formerly of Webster, SD died Sat. April 27, 2013 at Methodist Medical Center, Peoria, IL

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 Monday, May 6, 2013 at United Methodist Church, Webster. Burial will be in the Scotland Cemetery, rural Andover.

Visitation will be from 10:00 until the service Monday at United Methodist Church, Webster.

James Leonard Denholm was born February 11, 1919, at the Denholm Farm Homestead
South of Andover, S.D. to John James Denholm and Laura Anna Mathis Denholm. He
Attended elementary school in district #217-18 and graduated from Andover Public High
School in 1938. J. Leonard Denholm enlisted in the South Dakota National Guard from 1934 until 1939.

He married Ellen Emma Brown August 25, 1939, in Sisseton, So. Dak. The wedding
dance was held in Eden, S.D. This union continued for 27 years. He farmed from
1945 until 1981 in the Andover, Webster and Waubay area.

James Leonard Denholm served on the school boards in Scotland and Racine Townships, the Day County ASC committee, the Farmers Union Oil Co-op Board of Directors was County Chairman of the Day County Farmers Union for several years, Secretary of the Third District Farmers Union for several years and was delegate to the National Democratic Convention in San Francisco, Ca. in 1984. In 1988 he was elected South Dakota Delegate to the Electoral College in Washington, D.C.

James Leonard Denholm served as a Field Representative for the South Dakota Farmers Union from 1949 until 1951. During that time he organized three Farmers Union Co-op Oil Stations, four Farmers Elevator Associations, three Federal Credit Unions and consulted for several other Farm Co-operatives in South Dakota. He managed the Day County Farmers Union Shipping Association in the early 1950's. In 1960 he was an Organizational Coordinator for a Farmers Co-op Milk Drying Plant at Waubay, S.D.

Mr. Denholm was well known in his home community from engaging in custom farm
work, sheep shearing and haystack moving.

He married Audrey M. Duncan of Tiskilwa, Illinois on November 8, 1992.

Grateful for having shared his life is his wife Audrey of 21 years, two daughters, Twyla (Larry) Barron of Sioux Falls, S. D., Ila Thompson of Webster, S.D., six sons, James W. (Kathleen) Denholm of Rapid City, S.D., Jerry J. (Melva) Denholm of Omaha, Ne., Arby C. (Jaci) Denholm of Granbury Tx., Scott J. Denholm of Sioux Falls, S.D. Dan F. Denholm of Belleview NE. and Rocky L. (Lori) Denholm of Sioux Falls, So. Dak. 20 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, two sisters, Marietta Morehouse of Austin, Tx. and Annetta Belle (Robert) Smith of Arlington, Tx his brother Frank E (Millie) Denholm of Brookings, So. Dak. and three step-Daughters, Sandy Stewart of Santee, Ca. Shirley Feuer and Joann Struwing both of Colorado Springs, Co.

James was preceded in death by his parents, John & Laura Denholm, three brothers: John Millard Denholm, Robert Lawrence Denholm, Burdette Elroy Denholm, one sister Laura Jean Golden, one son, and twin daughters in infancy.