Jim Klobuchar
Klobuchar campaigning for his daughter Amy Klobuchar for U.S. Senator on July 4, 2012, in Tower, Minnesota
Born
James John Klobuchar

(1928-04-09)April 9, 1928
Ely, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedMay 12, 2021(2021-05-12) (aged 93)
Burnsville, Minnesota, U.S.
EducationEly Junior College (AA)
University of Minnesota (BA)
OccupationJournalist
EmployerStar Tribune
Spouse
Rose Heuberger
​
​
(m. 1954; div. 1976)​
Children2, including Amy
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1950–1952
RankCorporal

James John Klobuchar (/ˈkloʊbətʃɑːr/ KLOH-bə-char;[1] April 9, 1928 – May 12, 2021) was an American journalist, author, and newspaper columnist from Minnesota. Klobuchar was regarded as a regionally well-known and admired local sports and politics reporter during his long career working for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis.[2][3]

Klobuchar notably was the first reporter in the country to declare John F. Kennedy's victory over Richard Nixon in the 1960 United States presidential election.[2] He was the father of Minnesota U.S. Senator and former Hennepin County attorney Amy Klobuchar.

Early life

Klobuchar was born in Ely, Minnesota, the son of Mary (Pucel) and Michael Klobuchar.[4] His grandparents were all from Slovenia,[5] and the surname Klobučar means "hatter" in Slovenian. He earned an Associate of Arts degree from Ely Junior College (now Minnesota North College – Vermilion) in 1948 and a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota in 1950.

Career

Klobuchar served in the United States Army from 1950 to 1952 and became a corporal. He worked as a wire editor for the Bismarck Tribune in North Dakota in 1950 and as a legislative reporter from 1952 to 1953.[6]

He worked as a staff writer for the Associated Press in Minneapolis from 1953 to 1961 and with the Minneapolis Tribune from 1961 to 1965. He became a columnist for the Minneapolis Star starting in 1965 where he covered sports and politics.[6]

Personal life

Klobuchar married Rose Heuberger August 7, 1954 and had two children, Amy and Meagan. They divorced in 1976. He also was noted for his struggles with alcoholism.[7]

During much of his life Klobuchar was an avid cyclist, and led the "Jaunt With Jim"[8] group bicycle ride for 39 years.

Health and death

Towards the end of Klobuchar's life, he had Alzheimer's disease.[9] He died at a care facility in Burnsville, Minnesota on May 12, 2021, at age 93.[10] Amy Klobuchar announced the death, saying about her father, "He loved journalism. He loved sports and adventure. And we loved him."[11] Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also paid tribute, stating "Our press community lost a giant in Jim Klobuchar's passing."[10] Plans were also made to bury him in the Fort Snelling National Cemetery.[10][12]

Books

  • The Zest (and Best) of Klobuchar, Mark Zelenovich, Inc., 1967.
  • True Hearts and Purple Heads, Minneapolis: Ross & Haines, 1970.
  • Tarkenton, New York: Harper & Row, 1976. Co-author, Fran Tarkenton.
  • Will the Vikings Ever Win the Super Bowl? An Inside Look at the Minnesota Vikings of 1976, with Jeff Siemon's journal, New York: Harper & Row, 1977.
  • Will America Accept Love at Halftime?, Ross & Haines, 1992
  • Minstrel: My Adventure in Newspapering, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1997.
  • Pursued by Grace: A Newspaperman's Own Story of Spiritual Recovery, Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 1998.
  • The Cross Under the Acacia Tree: The Story of David and Eunice Simonson's Epic Mission in Africa, Minneapolis: Kirk House Publishers, 1999.
  • Knights and Knaves of Autumn: 40 Years of Pro Football and the Minnesota Vikings, Cambridge, Minnesota: Adventure Publications, 2000.
  • Sixty Minutes with God, Kirk House, 2003. ISBN 1-886513-78-3
  • Walking Briskly Toward the Sunset, Nodin Press, 2005.

References

  1. ↑ Orrick, Dave (January 25, 2020). "Even Amy Klobuchar pronounces her name wrong?". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2021. How [Amy] says it: KLŌ-bush-AR ... But her father, former Star Tribune columnist Jim Klobuchar, pronounces it with a "ch" sound, as in cha-cha.
  2. 1 2 Klobuchar, Jim (1997). Minstrel: My Adventure in Newspapering. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-8832-6. OCLC 191934919.
  3. ↑ Seelye, Katharine Q. (May 18, 2021). "Jim Klobuchar Dies at 93; Minnesota Newspaperman and Amy's Father". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  4. ↑ Klobuchar, Amy (2015). The Senator Next Door: A Memoir from the Heartland. New York City: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9781627794176.
  5. ↑ "Amy Klobuchar". RootsWeb. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Who's Who in America 1976-1977. Vol. I (39th: 1976–1977 ed.). Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1976. pp. 1, 743. ISBN 978-0-8379-0139-8.
  7. ↑ Condon, Patrick (May 4, 2019). "Her famous father's drinking shaped Sen. Amy Klobuchar's life, politics". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  8. ↑ Smith, Doug (August 7, 2015). "Born to ride: Jim Klobuchar and the birth of the Minnesota bike tour". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  9. ↑ Wright, Lawrence (December 28, 2020). "The Plague Year". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 Neumann, Sean (May 12, 2021). "Sen. Amy Klobuchar's Dad, Famed Columnist Jim Klobuchar, Dies at 93: 'We Loved Him'". People. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  11. ↑ Klobuchar, Amy (May 12, 2021). "We lost my dad Jim Klobuchar today at age 93. He loved our state. He loved journalism. He loved sports and adventure. And we loved him". Twitter. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  12. ↑ Duchschere, Kevin (May 12, 2021). "Jim Klobuchar, longtime Star Tribune columnist and adventurer, dies at 93". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
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