Jan 18, 2021
James M. “Jimmy” Wuerstle, age 65, of King St., Dunkirk, died peacefully on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 as a result of complications from COVID-19. He was born in Dunkirk on December 1, 1955, son of the late Catherine (McCraith) Wuerstle and James Wuerstle.
James was a 1974 graduate of Cardinal Mindszenty High School. He earned a BA in Fine Arts from SUNY Fredonia and studied at Gannon University to become an x-ray technician and ultrasound technician.
Jimmy will be remembered as a prolific artist, an avid Harley rider, and a passionate NRA member. He was a member of many clubs, including the Fredonia Beaver Club, the Dunkirk Conservation Club and the Dunkirk Falcons. He was also a member of two local gun clubs, South Shore Rod and Gun and Hanover Fish and Game, where he earned the nickname, “Doc Holiday”.
This is a confession. I still go by my breakthrough lesson in storytelling, the way wildly separate circles sometimes come together as if preordained, which I thought about last week when I received a Facebook message from Julie Murray Ahrens.
Her father, Tom Murray of West Seneca, was an old friend and a high school teacher of meaning in my life. Julie told me he had died from Covid-19, at 70. The note arrived while my wife Nora, our daughter, our younger son and I remained in isolation after we all tested positive for the virus, a moment when the concern and selfless gestures of friends, family and neighbors reaffirmed everyday gratitude I should never allow myself to forget.