James Lee Gilbertsen

The love story of Jim and Cherri Gilbertsen began in the most unlikely of places, disco dance class. They met October 5, 1978. And the rest as they say was history. They got to spend 44 years together. Jim had just gotten out of the Marines and started college at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Jim always loved geography and outer space. He knew every one of the original Star Trek series by name. So, it was not by chance he chose geography as his major with an emphasis on cartography (mapmaking). They were married in San Antonio, Texas October 5, 1987. Jim was never good with numbers he wanted a date he would always remember as their wedding date. It was also in San Antonio where his mapping career began. He worked for the Defense Mapping Agency there, and later moved to Reston, Virginia with the same agency His mapping career took him too many states as well as overseas to Saudi, Arabia twice. His last mapping job was in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jim was also an aspiring screenplay writer and placed well in the contests he entered.

Jim is survived by his wife, Cherri; stepdaughters, Valerie (Nick) Krautkramer, and Angela (Glen) Richard; sister, Renee (Jim) Quinn; brothers, Dan (Shirley) Gilbertsen, Tim (Lisa) Gilbertsen; and sister, Dianna Gilbertsen. He was preceded in death by his sister, Karen (Tom) Kesterson on March 2021; his father, Leroy Gilbertsen in April 2012; and his mother, Patricia in April of 2008.
There will be no services, his wishes were to be cremated. Some of his ashes will be spread in Madison, Wisconsin at the celebration of life memorial service for him and his sister, Karen in May.