Snow covers a street in Minneapolis, Minnesota after a blizzard on Dec. 12, 2010. (Tom Dahlin / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin January 3, 2026 at 5:30am
A Minnesota pastor passed away in December after helping a driver stuck in the snow outside of his church.
Jim Bzoskie, 76, was inside Cornerstone Bible Church preparing gift bags for county jail inmates when he went to help someone who had spun out in the snow, according to a report from WCJB.
Sarah Lindner, his daughter, told the outlet that he died after the incident, likely from a heart attack.
“He was helping people until those very last moments. I had a friend tell me he served right up to the bell,” Lindner remarked. “He would have wanted that.”
“His last words were Merry Christmas, and we just see that as such a beautiful thing. Knowing that dad loved Christmas and he’s going to have the best Christmas ever,” Lindner added.
Members of the community likewise remembered his Christian generosity and selflessness.
“Every Tuesday, he would come into the jail to do a Bible study for our inmate population,” Jacob Schak, the jail program sergeant, told WCJB.
Bzoskie was a volunteer chaplain for the police and fire department in Hastings, Minnesota, for 47 years.
Dakota County Sheriff Joe Leko recounted how his ministry was integral to helping his team deal with tragedies.
“Some of the difficult things we’ve gone through with the tragedy in Burnsville, losing three first responders, we’ve had suicides in our own office that we’ve had to maneuver… couldn’t imagine going through those things without him,” Leko recalled.
The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office posted a lengthy tribute to “Pastor Jim” on their Facebook page.
“Since 1979, Pastor Jim was a constant and trusted presence within the Office. He helped build and sustain our jail programming, served faithfully as our chaplain, and provided steady encouragement, perspective, and humor for decades,” the post said.
“When the work was heavy, Jim was there. When there was something to celebrate, he was there too.”
The post added, “Jim had a natural way of connecting with people and a genuine love for community. He found joy in being around others, and he never slowed down when it came to showing up for people.”
The post reminded community members to imitate his example.
“He will be deeply missed, and his legacy will continue in the way we care for one another and serve our community. Our thoughts are with Jim’s family and the many people we know he meant so much to.”
Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations; guiding the editorial direction of The Western Journal; and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Entertainment News, Christian-Conservatism
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