Big check for the car project
James Vorderbruggen or "Big Jim" and "Grandpa Jim" as he was called was very interested in the Industrial Technology Class taught by Ross Faldet. That class was part of the cuts in the budget when the Clearbrook-Gonvick School District was going through difficult times. Faldet has received the go ahead to do another project with students for the school next year.
Faldet had Jim’s support on two projects in the past which included restoration of a 1969 Mustang and a 1970 Chevy C10 that were raffled off to the winner at Gonvick Pumpkin Days. The Mustang went to Clayton and Lorna Skoisen of Roseau in 2010 and the Chevy to Andrew Eck of Gonvick on 2012.
Ross and Jim had several conversations at car shows and football games about restoring a car at the school. He was very supportive of the talent that students had and wanted these kids to get recognized for something other than sports. Faldet said that without Jim’s support the two projects would never have gotten off the ground. He had the specialty tools that the school shop did not have and expertize and enthusiasm for helping Faldet.
Jim will be helping Faldet again this year, although not physically, as he passed away on March 5, 2014 at the University of Minnesota hospital in Minneapolis after complications from an automobile accident. His wife Terri and daughter Karla and son Josh Vorderbruggen have donated $5,000 in Jim’s memory to use for up front funding for the car project at the school for next year. Faldet stated, "This was huge and will take some of the pressure off and we will be able to move the project forward. This kind of a donation does not come along very often." "This is something he would really approve of as not everyone will be going to college and there is a need for these kinds of classes for students to be successful."
Now with the donation Faldet can start looking for a car that can be used. Josh was involved in the Mustang project the first year. That was when they stripped the Mustang down to bare metal and made plans for what had to be done the second year. The class was only 45 minutes long and Josh was a senior and went on to the University of North Dakota where he completed a Mechanical Engineering degree. The second year the project was two hour blocks in the school but it also had many coming in during the weekend and vacation time for it to get finished and ready to be sold. It was a community project as local business places helped out with their facilities and giving the students discounts on parts and products.
Doing the car restoration projects gives students exposure to many things including auto mechanics, vehicle maintenance, collision repair, upholstery, electronics, welding sandblasting and budgeting.
According to Terri, Jim was in his glory when he and his two children were in their shop at home working on a project. Karla took welding and she built a baseball T that would be used for batting practice. Karla did not go into engineering she is a Registered Nurse working for Sanford in Thief River Falls.
Jim was born in Bagley and graduated from Bagley High School in 1982. He and Terri Staehnke were married on June 4, 1988. He worked for different pipeline companies in Minnesota, Alaska and North Dakota. Jim and his wife Terri purchased the gas station and repair shop in Gonvick called Main Street Service. During that time it was a family run place as their two children Karla and Josh were there helping. Children that came in would be treated to suckers. He ran that until 2005 when he went to work for Enbridge Pipeline.
He later became an Area Supervisor with Enbridge and had 16 people working under him. He had the respect of all who worked with him as people liked "Big Jim" as he was called. He was also called "Grandpa Jim" by three special girls, Taylor, Payton and Blake. He did not have grandchildren of his own.
These projects would not have been possible without the generosity of Jim and numerous people in the communities, including everyone who purchased a raffle ticket.