James Wanke, of Milan, died on Saturday, July 25, 2009 at the Madison Lutheran Home in Madison at the age of 89. Funeral Services will be conducted on Friday, July 31, 2009 at 1:30 P.M. at the Madison Lutheran Home Chapel in Madison with Rev. David Hall officiating. Interment will be in Kviteseid Lutheran Milan Methodist Cemetery near Milan. Visitation will be one hour prior to services on Friday. James Emil Wanke was born August 12, 1919 at Montevideo, MN, to Emil G. and Katherine (Joyce) Wanke. He was baptized and confirmed at Kviteseid Lutheran Church and attended Christianson Country School and the Milan Public Schools. He entered the US Army June 24, 1941 and was honorably discharged October 13, 1945, serving in the Pacific and European Theaters. He received the Asiatic Pacific Theater Service Medal, the European African Middle Eastern Theater Service Medal, the American Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Star and six overseas service bars. He worked on construction with Vern G. Kleven at Milan and at the Burns Fur Co. in Montevideo. Jim enjoyed fishing, hunting, trapping, gardening, bingo, shaking dice and watching the Twins baseball team. He is survived by one sister, Gladys Anderson of Lincoln, NE; two brothers: John (and Betty) Wanke of Milan and Tom (and Phyllis) Wanke of Appleton and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Gail and Gaylord Wanke and four sisters: Hazel Snelling, Dorothy Breum, Kathryn Angrimson and Clarice in infancy.