James Nielsen

Funeral services for James Nielson, 66, of Baker, are pending with Stevenson Funeral Home.

James passed away Friday, March 7, 2025 at CHI St. Alexius Hospital, Dickinson, ND.

Heaven’s gain is an extreme loss for all that knew and loved James here on earth. He was a man who enjoyed the simple things in life, anything outdoors, and living in the quiet countryside of eastern Montana with his family.

James Allan Nielsen passed away after a short hospitalization at CHI St. Alexius Hospital in Dickinson, ND on Friday, March 7, 2025. James’ loving wife and daughters joined him in the “Sacred Place” until God called him home in the early hours on March 7th. He is healed!

A Celebration of Life will be held later.

James was born in Platte, SD on November 25, 1958. He was the second child and eldest son of Charles Nielsen and MaryAnn Witkowski. He grew up in Wibaux, MT in a broken home. From a very young age he felt the responsibility of a grown man on his shoulders and did what he could to care for his younger siblings. Along with his older sister, Karla, they would clean buildings late at night for money to buy food for the family. To better support his family, he left High School at age 17. This was the start of a lifelong career in the oilfield.

His oilfield career took him to Plentywood, Glendive, Watford, Dickinson, and Baker. Over the years, James worked for Signal Oil, O’Connor Oilfield Service, Enron, Denbury, and Conoco Phillips. His work ethic was unwavering. His experience, knowledge, and professionalism kept him in the industry for 45 years until his retirement in 2020.

In 1979 James met the love of his life, Tracy Rustad, at a wedding dance at St. Phillips Hall in Wibaux, MT. Due to the six-year age difference, the young couple had to keep their relationship a secret for a while. However, their love lasted the test of time and James married Tracy on June 15, 1985. This union brought three beautiful girls into the world. Shantel, Jamie, and MaKenzy were all the apple of Daddy’s eye, but they also had to learn to do anything a boy could do and work harder. It was very important to James that his girls have a stay-at-home mother to care for them while he worked the long, grueling hours in the patch. They raised their girls in the family home in Baker where the girls were able to be involved in several activities such as Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis, Rodeo, 4-H and any other activity that their hearts desired. As the girls got older, James decided to get his GED. Again, with his older sister, Karla, they took the classes and passed. They were graduates!

In his off time, you could find James enjoying the outdoors with his wife, girls, and/or siblings. Whether he was hunting, fishing, boating or team roping he was surrounded by those who admired him. He traveled to Louisiana to be the best man for his brother, Kevin, and made a couple trips to Ohio with his family to visit his sister, Joette, and her family.

After purchasing land from Tracy’s parents, James and Tracy were able to continue to live out their dream and moved to the country in 2014. His 2020 retirement brought him home full time where he enjoyed farming and ranching beside his wife of almost 40 years.

James was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Nielsen and MaryAnn Witkowski; his maternal grandparents; John and Katherine Witkowski, his paternal grandparents; Knud and Connie Nielsen; his infant brother, Timmy; his father-in-law; Gordon Rustad, his sister-in-law; Teresa Jorgenson, and several aunts and uncles.

He is survived by his wife, Tracy, daughters: Shantel (Trevor) Sander; Jamie (Eric) Updike; MaKenzy Nielsen (Nick Dorsett); six grandchildren: Tryppton, Brezden, Dax, Robert, Westin, and Blakely all of Baker, MT. Siblings: Karla (John) O’Connor of Baker, MT, Monica (Lon) LaCross of Baker, MT, John (Denise) Nielsen of Glendive, MT, Tom (Janean) Nielsen of Great Falls, MT, Kevin (Kim) of New Llano, LA, Joette (Tracy) Weyer of Wibaux, MT; Mother-in-Law, Sharon Rustad; Tracy’s siblings; Tammy O’Donnell, and Todd Rustad; Uncle Johnny Lee Witkowski; Aunt Margaret (Robert) Bechtold; several nieces and nephews, and many cousins.