James (Jim) Allen Czywczynski went to be with Jesus on December 12th, 2019.

Jim was born on May 13, 1937 to Bernard and Laura (Eneboe) Czywczynski in Denver, CO.

In 1943, Bernard and family moved back home to Gascoyne, ND to work on the family farm. In 1945, they purchased the family farm from Bernard's father, Adam Czywczynski.

Jim spent many years helping his dad and brother on the farm, milking cows, calving, haying, and raising chickens. Jim attended grade school in Gascoyne, ND and high school in Scranton, ND. He was a great athlete and excelled in basketball, baseball, and track and broke many records while in school. He graduated in May 1955.

After high school, Jim came to Rapid City, SD to attend the National College of Business. He earned a degree in accounting. He also played basketball for NCB; he once scored 50 points in a single game.

After college, Jim enrolled in the Navy. He was stationed in many ports, was on the USS Oklahoma City and achieved rank of 2nd Class Petty Officer. He studied Meteorology and was the ship's weatherman. He also played chess and schooled the sailors in tournaments. He soon realized he was missing the love of his life from college, Jeanette (Jan) Baranko, and he proposed. They were married on June 18th, 1960 in Belfield, ND. While stationed in Long Beach, CA they had their first child, James T Czywczynski, on March 26, 1961.

After serving 4 years in the Navy, Jim and family came home to ND for a few months. Jim was a true businessman who was ready to venture out, so he moved the family back to Rapid City. In 1962, their second child JoAnn was born, followed by Judy in 1963 and Jill in 1966. Jim worked at Dunmire and Short as a Public Accountant.

Jim and Jan loved to bowl and found time for a date night once a week while they bowled on a league. Jim was a good bowler and taught several of his children how to bowl too.

In 1968, Jim was looking for a change. He wanted to own his own business. He met Clive and Agnes Gildersleeve, owners of Wounded Knee Trading Post and Museum on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. After many conversations and soul searching, he bought this property from them and moved his family to Wounded Knee. Jim and Jan ran the trading post from 1968 to 1973. They put their heart and soul into the trading post and museum.

They worked with the locals to sell their Indian artifacts, art and beadwork, and offered jobs to the local community. It was here that they made many lifelong friends. In February 1973, American Indian Movement (AIM) took over Wounded Knee and destroyed their house, trading post and museum.

Jim and Jan lost everything, but they were determined to start over and rebuild for their family. Jim moved his family back to Rapid City, where he purchased Happy Holiday Campground, thanks to a great banker in Gordon NE. More children followed, Julie in 1975 and Jacalyn in 1982. Jim and Jan owned and operated the campground for 27 years until 2000 when they sold it. They made numerous updates including a 31-unit mobile home park, a motel, cabins, game room, basketball court, pool and hot tub. They also planted and watered hundreds of trees that are now mature and are so beautiful. The campground was a family business, and Jim was the boss. He would sit on his yellow stool every morning greeting and chatting with campers, reading the paper, ringing up sales, and letting us know what 'we' needed to do today. There really was not much 'we' in the execution! He was an excellent delegator.

Jim, known as jimmyZZZ to his friends, also owned Rushmore Homes, Reno's Casino, BH ATM and Holiday ATM in Rapid City, SD.

Jim loved to golf. He played every day in the summer, rain or shine. He loved fishing, hunting, playing pinnacle/poker, anything where he could spend time with his family and friends. He also loved watching and supporting athletic/scholastic events for his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He would even get outside and work with the kids on pitching or batting. He was a very generous man, always willing to help out, whether it was advice, financial questions, borrowing equipment, helping with taxes, or other tasks. He was always there to help.

Jim golfed up until the first week of August 2019. He became ill very quickly. He had pancreatic cancer that spread to his liver and bones. Jim is preceded in death by his parents, Bernard and Laura Czywczynski and his brother Leo Czywczynski. Jim is survived by his spouse of 59.5 years, Jan, his sister Nancy (Verlin) Brown - Danbury WI, his sister in law Melva Czywczynski (Scranton, ND) and all his children - Jimmy Czywczynski, JoAnn Czywczynski, Judy (John) Sawyer, Jill (Dan) Trainer, Julie (Fletcher) Meyer, and Jacalyn Czywczynski - all from Rapid City, SD. He has 14 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established for the OLPH Building Fund, and the American Cancer Society.