William Paul James

William Paul James, of Mexia, passed away at Providence Hospital in Waco on Saturday, August 6, 2014, at age 71, following a brief illness and declining health for the past year. Visitation will be Tuesday, September 9, 2014, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at Groesbeck Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, September 10, 2014, in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with John Carabin and David McDaniel officiating. Burial will follow in Faulkenberry Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Jimmy Bradley, Chris Bradley, Nick Chamberlin, Kelly Kilpatrick, Kaleb Morales, and Colby Owen. Honorary pallbearers will be Branson James, Zackary James, Marvin Krauss, Ethan Chamberlin, Travis Chamberlain, and Steven Shields. Paul was born October 7, 1942 in the Greenfield community of Arkansas to Frank James and Elsie Shrout James. He grew up on a farm, and the thirteen children all worked; Paul was picking cotton at age 7. He attended school in that area and in Harrisburg. Paul served in the U. S. Army from 1961 through 1964 and was stationed in Germany. While Paul was home on leave, he met his future wife in Harrisburg. Paul and Joan Faulkner were united in marriage on January 7, 1963 in Truman, Arkansas. After he was honorably discharged from the Army, he worked in the lumber industry in Arkansas. Then they moved to California at the encouragement of his sister Jessie, where he worked in the logging industry for a year, before moving back to Arkansas, and farming rice and soybeans. They family moved to Texas in 1972 at the encouragement of his brother, Chris. He was hired by Alvis Medders to work on Bradley’s Circle J Ranch shortly after moving here. After Mr. Medders retired, Paul was the ranch foreman for the next thirty-two years. He was assisted by the Bradley boys and his two boys in the ranch work. For at least fifteen years, they held an annual Beefmaster Sale, which took three or more months of planning and work and many hours of the day and nights of preparation, with help from other friends of the family. Buyers attended from California to Mexico. It was hard work but enjoyed by all. Hay season was another busy time of hot work. After 2009 when he retired, his main project was catching up on the chores Joan had been holding for him. He loved hunting (and trapping raccoons in the winter to sell the hides) and fishing (but only kept the fish if Joan would clean them.) He enjoyed cooking, barbeque, and baking, with his strawberry cake being especially loved by the family. Paul quit smoking and drinking and changed his language,and started back attending church when it became necessary to drive his wife. He had grown up in a strict Pentecostal church where he played the guitar. But the Army and working life changed his church attendance; however, he did not hesitate to look up any questions in the Bible and was very proficient at quoting or find scriptures when there were questions. When he started back to church with his wife at Living Proof Church in Groesbeck, he was sitting on the back row; but he moved up as his interest deepened to the front row. He was very active in many church projects even before attending regular, such as the Angel Food Program, the Storm Troopers program making home repairs for people needing help, and many other acts of service. Paul was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Flora Jean James, Jessie James Osban, and Evelyn James Lacy; and brothers, Everett Lee James, Dickie James, and Bennie James. He is survived by his wife, Joan James of Mexia; son and daughter-in-law, Bryan and Lori James of Corsicana; son and daughter-in-law, Heath and Lisa James of Fort Worth; grandson, Branson James and wife, Madison of Wheeler; granddaughter, Rebekah James Martinez and husband Taz of Italy; grandson, Zackary James of Corsicana; and great grandchildren: Bryan T. James, Bradley James, Bryley James (all of Wheeler, TX.), and Loralie Martinez and Kinzlie Martinez (of Italy, TX.). He also leaves behind his sister, Euphemia Greenway of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Augustine Winningham of Harrisburg, Arkansas, Patsy Adamson of Fisk, Missouri, Betty Gasaway of Morrilton, Arkansas and Diane William of Harrisburg, Arkansas, and brother, Chris James of Leesburg, TX.