Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the Bureau of Land Management Relating to ``North Dakota Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan''

Floor Speech

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Mr. CRAMER. Mr. President, before I pay tribute to Pastor Bjorge, I just want to say thank you to my colleagues who supported that resolution that you just announced that passed. It is very meaningful to North Dakota, and I express my appreciation for the support. Remembering James Richard Bjorge

Mr. President, ``James Richard Bjorge, child of God, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on September 29, 2025. He was 94.''

That is the opening paragraph of an obituary for Pastor Bjorge, whose funeral is tomorrow. I will obviously miss it, being here in Washington, but I did want to, first of all, seek unanimous consent to submit his obituary to be printed in the Record tonight.

He was 94.

James (Jim) Bjorge was born April 10, 1931 in Windom, Minnesota to Johs and Esther (Johnson) Bjorge, the second of three sons. He was raised in a loving Norwegian (with a touch of Swedish) home. Growing up in Windom was a special time of friendships for Jim. He experienced multi-denominational youth groups, boyish pranks, a respect for others, and most importantly the knowledge of Jesus' love for him.

After graduating from Windom High School, Jim attended St. Olaf College and graduated with honors. He went on to Luther Seminary and received his M.Div. Jim always credited his older brother `Big John' for encouraging him to attend seminary. Although this was not Jim's original path choice, he received the calling from God and enrolled in seminary. Some years later he attended Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California and earned his Doctor of Ministry degree.

Along with being an excellent scholar, Jim had a love for basketball, tennis, and high jumping. His 6'4" frame broke high jumping records in college and in varsity at seminary.

After seminary graduation in 1957, and before Jim began his first call to Belgrade, Minnesota, he met Frances Erickson, an Augustana graduate. After a few dates the courtship continued with many letters sent during Fran's first year of teaching in California. They were married the next summer. Five children were born to this union.

Jim, with Fran and family, served parishes in Belgrade, Litchfield, and Roseville, Minnesota, Viroqua, Wisconsin, Sioux City, Iowa, and lastly First Lutheran in Fargo, North Dakota. Jim retired from full-time parish ministry after serving 17 years at First Lutheran. He continued to share the Word by accepting an interim position in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

After Fran's death in 2002, Jim continued with interim preaching at Wahpeton, Fargo, Portland, Grand Forks, Valley City, Horace, and Enderlin, all in North Dakota. In addition to serving his parishes, Jim authored 15 books, which include sermon series, lessons from nature and 2 books on nature.

In 2010 during a short interim at Faith Lutheran in Valley City, Jim met Carol Winter, also widowed, with a heart for music ministry through her singing. The LORD had a plan for Jim and Carol. After a brief courtship, they were married in the Chapel at Mount Carmel Family Bible Camp near Alexandria, Minnesota. Jim had attended Mount Carmel since its beginning in 1938, first as a young boy with his parents, then as a young handsome lifeguard during college summer breaks. He was later a guest preacher for many years at summer adult camp sessions. He continued to speak God's Word with joy until health issues halted him at age 88. The desire to continue sharing the Gospel never left him, even from his bed at Sanford Hospice House.

Jim served on many boards in all of these parish communities. He especially enjoyed being chairman of the Red River Valley Billy Graham Crusade in 1987, and being a member of the Lutheran Health and Banner Health Systems boards from 1990-2005. Being on these boards sparked his love of travel, taking trips to the British Isles, Scandinavia, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. He led many bus tours throughout the U.S. and tour groups 19 times to Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Two trips to the Passion Play Performance in Germany were tucked into his travels also.

A noted and gifted motivational speaker, Jim spoke to several varied groups locally and around the country including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes national gathering. As Joe Dill, a former Fargo Forum editor, stated, ``Jim Bjorge is among the best speakers I have heard--stands in front of a group with no cards, and it just rolls out''!

Throughout his life, Jim was a sports enthusiast and a lover of the outdoors and creation. He was an avid hunter of deer and pheasant. Antelope, other game birds, various animal pelts, and fish also adorned his man cave walls. He ruled the remote when his favorite basketball, baseball, and football games were on TV. Another pastime he enjoyed was hobby ranching and always had horses.

Jim is survived by his wife, Carol; children, Barak (Katie), Debbie, Nate (Kate), Tim (Amy), Ben (Renata) Bjorge; Carol's two children, Dawn and Brian Winter; sixteen grandchildren; fifteen great grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Johs and Esther; brothers, John and Mark; grandson, Willie Bjorge; and his first wife, Fran.

A visitation will be held at 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 9, 2025 in the chapel at First Lutheran Church. A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 10 with a visitation one hour prior, all at First Lutheran Church, Fargo. Lunch will be served in the dining hall following the service. Burial will be at Ellsborough Lutheran Church Cemetery near Lake Wilson, Minnesota.

To send flowers to the family in memory of James Bjorge, please visit our flower store.

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Mr. CRAMER. Mr. President, Pastor James Bjorge was--well, he was a pastor. He was a Lutheran pastor, a big Norwegian American from Minnesota. He loved sports, loved the Lord, loved the church, loved his family, loved his community. And he was my pastor. He was a pastor for our family when we attended First Lutheran Church in Fargo, ND.

But Pastor Bjorge was especially gifted. He was also an evangelist. He was, I remember, the chairman of the Red River Valley Billy Graham Crusade in Fargo in 1987. And that is not common for Lutheran pastors. It was more so back then than it is today, to be part of something so evangelical.

But some of Jim's gifts included, of course, being a great orator. Every pastor preaches, but not every pastor preaches well. James Bjorge preached exceptionally well, and I still remember several of his sermons.

One of the gifts that Jim had that I admired so much is he could recite poetry by heart. He had a photographic memory, it seemed to me. He could recite about anything he read, but especially poetry. And I remember some of the poems that he would use as illustrations in his sermons that still stick with me, some of them that were even anonymous in terms of who wrote them.

I remember one where he started out: I had walked life's way with an easy tread, followed to where pleasures and comforts led, when by chance in a quiet place, I met the Master face to face.

He went on to recite this poem perfectly, and I thought: Wow, I would like to be able to do that. I learned one poem--that one.

But I remember him quoting Robert Browning Hamilton when he said:

I walked a mile with Pleasure; She chatted all the way; But left me none the wiser For all she had to say. I walked a mile with Sorrow; And ne'er a word said she; But, oh! The things I learned from her, When Sorrow walked with me.

And I was thinking about that poem and him delivering that poem and me remembering that poem from probably 30 years ago in his sermon because of how profound it was and how profound it is to think about on this sad day.

But while he was all those things--he was a great motivator, great with illustration, great with stories--he was first and foremost a really, really learned teacher of Scripture. He loved the Scriptures. He knew the Scriptures, and he taught the Scriptures with incredible, incredible skill. And he brought the Scriptures to life. He was a profound teacher. He was a solid doctor.

And I remember, of all the many lessons I learned from him--and I am just going to wrap up with this one story. And I remember it so well because I remember reciting it back to him in a letter one time. In one sermon, he said: We should all live with one eye on Heaven.

And there are lots of scriptural references that sort of touch on that, but his point--his point, I believe--was if you live with one eye on Heaven, particularly knowing that you are focused on your eternal destiny, that that would somehow impact how you lived your life on Earth.

And for somebody who taught the Pauline epistle so beautifully, emphasized every single Sunday God's salvation by His grace through faith alone, not by anything we do, it was a good reminder that if you live with one eye on your eternal destiny that you have not earned but rather have been given as a free gift from God, it would affect how you approach your journey here on Earth.

So I think of Pastor Bjorge today. I think of his family, and I wish I could be at the celebration of his life. Tomorrow, no doubt, there will be lots of great stories told and a few tears shed.

But I know this--and in my life, the pastors of my youth, right up to my current pastor, have always left a profound mark on my life, and I know this for sure: While I could never and never have been able to achieve his level of living with one eye on Heaven, because I knew him, I am a better person than I would be if I hadn't known Jim Bjorge.

And when I think about the testimony not only of his words--I mean, he was gifted with words but the fact that he lived with one eye on Heaven gives me great comfort knowing that he is now there--that he is now there--and that his 94 years walking on this Earth, his walk reflected his view of Heaven and the certainty of his destination.

So with that, I just say thank you Pastor Bjorge for making me better. Thank you for your ministry. Thank you for your testimony and witness. I just wish his family well and just know that I am going to miss him. I am going to miss him but grateful that I knew him.

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