James Carroll Penny

On January 5, 2022, James Carroll Penny of Groesbeck, Texas left his physical body and went to his forever home in heaven. There will be a private family only viewing and visitation on Saturday. The public visitation will be held from 2:00 – 3:00 PM, prior to the services, on Sunday, January 9, 2022, in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral services will be held 3:00 PM on Sunday, January 9, 2022, in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Pastor Randy Ayres officiating. Burial will follow at Cobb Cemetery next to his beloved Anna Lynn. Pallbearers will be Dallas Penny, Hunter Verm, Richard Ricoy, Aaron Spencer, Tyler Thompson, and Trenton Brown. James was born March 10, 1945, in Burnet, Texas to Manning and Ethel Wayne Lewis Penny. James met the love of his life, Anna, when they were 12 years old, when her family moved their trailer to the trailer court that his family owned. James and Anna had their 13th birthday party together. Anna had decided that James was cute, dark, and mischievous, and she liked that. His teacher had even noted in one of his report cards that he could have an attitude and liked to whisper in class. James joined the Air Force in 1963 and served until 1967. He married Anna Lynn Sullivan on July 27, 1964, and from this union came three children, Mike, Jimmy, and Alesha. Following his service in the Air Force, James was a truck driver for 40 years, where he was known as “Small Fry” by all of his driving buddies. He and Anna enjoyed camping and spent many weekends camping with friends and family. James had a unique talent that not many people have - he could ride a bicycle backwards. He did this often in his younger years, riding from town to town within the county and later just to impress family and friends. He loved to tease and aggravate and poke fun. Maybe that was the mischievous side coming out in him that Anna Lynn fell in love with. Anna passed after 42 years of marriage, and James was lost without her. While we mourn his loss, we celebrate that he is joined in heaven with his savior and his beloved Anna Lynn. James is preceded in death by his wife Anna Lynn, parents Manning Penny and Merrel and Ethel Sayles, daughter-in-law, Amy Lynn Penny, and grandson, Trendell Wyatt Verm. He is survived by sons, Leonard Michael and wife Jeri, James “Jimmy” Carroll and wife Teresa, a daughter Alesha Lynn and husband Troy Verm; 8 grandkids, Erica Ricoy, Dallas Penny, Laura Thompson, Shelby Brown, Olivia Spencer, Hunter Verm, Ashlynn Verm and Addison Verm, and 15 great grandkids; his siblings, Alvin Wayne Penny, Linda Sue Colquitt, Larry Wood Penny, Sidney Merrel Sayles, Deborah Fay and husband Terry Knier, and multiple nieces, nephews, and friends.