James Burnell Watrud, of Clayton, Wisconsin was born December 22, 1934 in Polk County, Wisconsin and passed away January 24, 2011. He married Roseann Raymond in 1958 and graduated from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls in Physics and Chemistry and went to work at 3M in St. Paul, MN. Dr. Watrud attended college in New Mexico, Utah, Montana and earned graduate degrees from the University of Montana. Dr. Watrud moved to Springfield , Oregon in 1974 and resided there until 1982.
In 1989 Dr. Watrud took his Ph.D. in Divinity from Canadian Theological Seminary in Canada and pursued his ministry in the U.S., South America, and Liberia. He ran the Watrud family farm in Clayton, Wisconsin since 1986. In 2000, Dr. Watrud began his missionary ministry in Liberia, Africa. He served as a missionary, President of Liberian Christian College, and a consultant for Lifewater Liberia Inc. There he met and married a missionary, Noble Cecelia Y. Henry, and helped support Noble's home, Jesus Loves Children Ministry for orphaned Liberian children. He and his wife Noble continue this support. Dr. Watrud was ordained a minister by Solution Outreach Ministry of Monrovia, Liberia.

He is survived by his wife Noble Watrud, her son Moses Thomas, daughter, Shadia Watrud, and Mena Thomas of Liberia, Africa; granddaughter Arianna Nevaeh; his five children, Dana Raymond, Jandina Gelarmino, Andrea Watrud, Daniel Watrud and Mary Evans, all residents of Oregon; and three grandsons, Daniel McCormick, Kyle McCormick and Santa Fe Watrud, also residents of Oregon.
A celebration of Dr. Watrud's life will be held at Silver Creek Church in rural Clatyon, Wisconsin on Friday, January 28, 2011 at 11:00 am. Visitation will be 1 hour prior to services at the church. Interment will be at the Mount Hope Cemetery at Silver Creek Lutheran Church.