James Peter Bigelbach

Mr. James Bigelbach, age 94, passed away on February 20, 2026.

James was born in Saint Paul, MN to Peter and Helen Bigelbach.

Jim married Bonnie (Chavez) Bigelbach on July 13, 1968 in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings. Jim is survived by his wife, Bonnie, son, Brian (Kathleen), grandson, Drew, and a host of other loving family and friends.

A visitation will be held Saturday, 28th of February, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM at Rice Street Chapel with a service beginning at 12:30 P.M and a luncheon to follow. Private burial will take place at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date.

Jim loved bowling, golf, gardening, the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, the Minnesota State Fair and was an avid Minnesota sports fan. Through 57 years of marriage, you could count on seeing Jim and Bonnie Sunday evenings dining at Mancini's, and their house on Palace Avenue was famous for their Christmas decorations.

Jim was a proud Saint Paul resident, from his early years as a student at Saint Mark's, to graduating from Cretin High School as a member of the Class of '49. He served in the US Army during the Korean War, before returning to his life in Saint Paul. He was the warehouse manager at American National Can, before retiring and beginning his second career managing bowling centers. Jim was a lifelong member of the bowling community, as the manager of Saint Bernard's to becoming the owner/operator of Falcon Bowl and Lyn-Del Lanes. He started bowling with his father and added over 60 years of participation in the USBC Open Championships, where he was only the 26th bowler in history to reach that milestone. Jim was also inducted into the USBC Minnesota State Bowling Hall of Fame, the USBC Saint Paul Bowling Hall of Fame, and the Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame. Jim was also awarded several Gold medals in the National Senior Olympic Games; where he was chosen to be the flag bearer for Minnesota.

For more of Jim's bowling accomplishments, please see the link below:
USBC-Hall of Fame