James E Smith Eulogy 12-20-2022

James Edward Smith

Passed away in his sleep December 18 at home in Kirbyville Texas with John Wayne playing on the TV.

James was born April 30 1936 in Kirbyville Texas to parents Robert Charleston Smith and Jesse Lorene Grissom Smith. James was Mason for over 60 years. He worked in the oil patch and then at the Evadale paper mill from around 1957 to 1988 in the power house. He served on the Eastex FCU board of directors, the Jasper Newton Electric Cooperative board of directors. He was elected Jasper County Precinct 3 Commissioner in 1988 and served from 1989 to 2000. He served on the Kirbyville Chamber of Commerce and was citizen of the year in 1993. He loved fishing from his camp on the Neches river, Sam Rayburn Lake, hunting. He enjoyed his grandchildren and helping his neighbors and community. He never met a stranger. He loved attending his church in Kirbyville and playing 42 dominoes.

He is preceded in death by his wife Frances Doggett Smith

His parents, his siblings Jesse (Jack) Charleston Smith, Thomas Elbert Smith, Hazel Irene Smith, Robert (Tap) Elton Smith, grandson Joshua B. Hargrove.

He is survived by a sister Dixie West, his daughters Leisa D Hargrove , husband John Hargrove, Paula A. Barclay , husband Marc Barclay, grand children Eli Barclay , Hillary Burrows , husband Reid Burrows, Heather Wise, husband Warren Wise, great grandchildren Grant and Callan Burrows, Weston and Julia Wise, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins, and his long time family friends Audie Ferguson and Welden Smith.

The Family wants to special thanks to the neighbors

Jill Fowler, Melissa Aymond, and Archie Nelson and Greta for helping James out 24×7 when he needed someone asap.

We thank Audie Ferguson and Welden Smith for the many decades of friendship and caring for James.  He loved you both and our family loves you too.

We thank each one in attendance today for coming to show your support and love for James.

• Wealth – James had it all.  The true treasure of family and friends.
• James was a generous man with the desire to help anyone he could.  He never met a stranger.  He could talk to anyone anywhere.
• He was stubborn to a fault,  this was also his strength.  He would not give up.  He could make you mad, then either help you or get you to help him.
• Grandkids,  his whole body would shake with joy and laughter describing some mischief he and the grandkids had done..
• He could trade anything or talk you into selling him something you never thought about selling or he would just as easily give you the shirt he was wearing or anything else if he thought you really needed it.
• No better friend in a time of need.
• He rose from the poverty of 1936 great depression to a long career working hard long hours at the evadale mill to provide for his family.  He wanted to play basketball but could not because he did not have the money to buy shoes.  He wanted to be a civil engineer but could not afford to attend college.
• He served his community as a county commissioner then as a director at Jasper Newton Electric Co-op.

He thought of himself as poor,  but like the movie,  Jame Smith was the richest man in town because of the family and friends he made during his 86 years.

May God bless each one of you. Amen.