James "Pete" Wenande age 83, of Alexandria died Monday, October 10, 2011 at Golden Living Center in Salem. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Thursday, October 13th at St. Mary of Mercy Catholic Church in Alexandria. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 PM Wednesday at the church with a rosary and prayer service at 7:00 PM. Burial will be at St. Mary of Mercy Cemetery with military rites. Arrangements are under the direction of the Will Funeral Chapel. Jim was born November 2, 1927 in Alexandria, SD to Nicholas and Louella (O'Byrne) Wenande. He attended grade school at Wayne #1 Country School in Hanson County and graduated from Alexandria High School in 1945. After graduation he farmed with his father until entering the US Army in 1951 where he served in Stutgart, Germany for 16 months, joined the reserve when he returned home and was honorably discharged in 1959. He returned to the farm and on August 18, 1953 he married Millie Huber and they operated a dairy farm for 40 years. In 1985 he started a gravel hauling business, hauling privately and also worked for Bituminous Paving of Ortonville, MN. Jim took great pride in his gravel business and loved his truck and working for his patrons. He worked in many areas of western SD, before retiring in 2005. He was a member of St. Mary of Mercy Catholic Church and the American Legion Post #41 in Alexandria for many years. Jim served on the Wayne Township Board, the Farmers Elevator Board of Directors for a number of years. Grateful for sharing his life are his wife; sons Michael (June) Wenande of Mitchell, Donald (Pam) Wenande and Timothy (Pat) Wenande of Alexandria; 12 grandchildren Tiffani (Shawn) Kirkpatrick of Aurora, CO, Tony (Amanda) Wenande of Alexandria, Craig Wenande of Sioux Center, IA, Jena Wenande and Jill Wenande of Sioux Falls, Neil Wenande of Alexandria, Nicholas (Laura) Wenande of St. Louis, MO, Joshua Wenande and Christina Wenande of Sioux Falls, Cole Wenande, Kelli Wenande and Aaron Wenande of Alexandria; 2 great grandchildren Jaycee Heezen of Alexandria and Fuller Kirkpatrick of Aurora, Co; 2 sister-in-laws Fern Huber of Alexandria and Katherine Huber of Mitchell and several nieces and nephews.