James William Morgan

James W. “Jim” Morgan, 88 of Onalaska, passed away on Monday, December 16, 2024, at the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse. He was born on November 15, 1936, in Saint Peter, Minnesota to Clarence and Mary (Modert) Morgan and graduated from Le Sueur High School in Le Sueur, Minnesota. He attended St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN for a year before enlisting in the United States Army in November of 1955, serving until his discharge in November of 1958.

He returned to Le Sueur and began work for the Le Sueur Foundry until he sustained a catastrophic hand injury. He subsequently went back to college and graduated from Mankato State University.

On April 22, 1961, he married Karen Fynboh in Montgomery, MN. Jim took a job with Green Giant in Ripon, WI as an accountant and later with Job Corps at Fort McCoy. The family moved to La Crosse where Jim began his 30-year career with UW-La Crosse, first as an accountant, then as a controller and later as Vice-Chancellor until his retirement in 1996. While at UW-L, Jim and others were instrumental in bringing the New Orleans Saints football team to La Crosse for spring training. He enjoyed helping to run the spring training camp for 11 years. 

While not at work, Jim enjoyed his fishing trips with his good friend, Ray Flynn; hunting, his annual “birdle trips” with his buddies and meeting his pals for happy hour.

In addition to his wife Karen of 63 years, Jim is survived by six children: Pat (Heidi) Morgan of Sioux Falls, SD, Tony Morgan of West St. Paul, MN, Andy (Kathy) Morgan of Holmen, WI, Matt (Pam) Morgan of Oregon, WI, Sarah (Gregg) Weber of West Salem and Becky (Gordy) Nagle of Winona, MN; 11 grandchildren: Tricia (Jeremy), Tim (Annemarie), Ana (Joe), John (Leilani), Kayli (Eric), Charlie (Breah), Calvin (Lauryn), Morgan (Kyle), Caleb (Kourtney), Duncan and Allsion; three brothers, Dan (Colleen) Morgan of Le Sueur, MN, Steve Morgan of Alexandria, MN and Mike (Diane) Morgan of Wells, MN; a sister, Mary Jo Cook of Grand Island, NE; sister-in-law, Joann Fynboh of Sauk Centre, MN, brother-in-law Bill (Sue) Fynboh of Winsted, MN, along with many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Rosemary Morgan, Sandy Cook and Ann Oldenburg; three brothers-in-law, Jim Cook, Harold Cook and Jim Fynboh.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 21st at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Onalaska with Msgr. Steven Kachel officiating. Military honors will follow the Mass. Private family burial will be held in the Onalaska City Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be held on Friday from 5-7 p.m. at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services of Onalaska. Visitation will continue at the church on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass.