Jung Ja "Kim" Van Dam

 Kim (Jung-Ja) Van Dam, 82, passed away peacefully on October 13, 2024, with her family by her side in Conrad, Montana. Born on May 10, 1942, in South Korea, Kim lived through remarkable times before moving halfway around the world to Montana.

Kim was born during World War II and grew up during the Korean War. After surviving both, Kim married the love of her life, Army soldier Samuel Van Dam, in 1958. The following year, they left South Korea for Conrad, where she would spend the rest of her days after proudly becoming a United States Citizen. She was later asked to tell her story to the Montana Historical Society’s “Montana War Brides Oral History Project,” which compiled the experiences of women that married a United States soldier and moved to Montana. While her new home and neighbors must have seemed terribly unfamiliar at first, Kim would soon form connections in Conrad that lasted her entire life.

She worked for 35 years as a Certified Nursing Assistant and beautician at Pondera Medical Center, where she touched many lives with her care and kindness. After retiring, Kim became a fixture at the Conrad Senior Center, where she volunteered and shared meals and stories with her friends. In 2016, she was awarded the Senior of the Year Award, a reflection of her commitment to helping others. 

Kim tended to focus on the needs of others, and her family was always her top priority. She was happily married for 61 years to her beloved husband Sam, and when his health failed, she remained by his side until the end. Kim was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and she spent as much time as she could with all of her family. We are blessed with so many memories of our time with her - camping trips, meals at her table, sleepovers in her living room, and the haircuts she was always happy to give us for free.

She lived an active life and had many interests. Kim grew beautiful flowers and worked hard at her yard. She loved camping with her family and her little dog Butch at Two Medicine. After practicing shooting with her husband, she became an accomplished markswoman. Known for her incredible fried rice, Kim's cooking, too, was beloved by her family and friends. Kim was active in her family’s church and her faith in Christ was a foundational part of who she was.

Kim’s memory will live on through her family, each of whom loved her for her kindness and her generosity. She was preceded in death by her adoring husband Sam Van Dam in 2019. Kim is survived by her daughters Sandra (Robert) Sill and Linda (Vernon) Stokes, her son Mike Van Dam, and her grandchildren Melissa Stokes, Colleen Garcia, Sam Sill, Chris Sill, Ross Stokes, Dylan Van Dam, and four great-grandchildren. Kim was close to her husband’s nieces Monica Ranney and Kim Mosley and their families whose companionship was also a great comfort to her.

In accordance with her wishes, the family of Kim Van Dam will gather for a private service celebrating her life.