Rev. Orval James

Monday, March 4, 2002

Rev. Orval L. James, Sr. of Dudley, was born April 3, 1905 in Hoxie, Ark. and died Thursday, Feb. 28, 2002 at the Maranatha Village in Springfield, Mo., at the age of 96. Mr. James was a member of the Church of God in Dudley. He was ordained as a Minister in 1976 and had pastored several churches in Southeast Missouri. He was active at the Senior Citizens Center in Dexter and a member of their Friendly Peoples Club and a retired blacksmith and welder. In 1928 he was united in marriage to Elizabeth London and she preceded him in death on Jan. 28, 1949. He then married Mabel Funkhouser on May 27, 1953 and she preceded him in death on Feb. 2, 1994. Survivors include four sons, Orval Lee James, Jr. of Springfield, Mo., Jerry A. James of Phoenix, Ariz., Carl L. James of Zalma and Jesse A. James of Littleton, Colo.; one daughter, Clara Ellen Sparks of Battlefield, Mo.; 24 grandchildren; 54 great-grandchildren; 10 great-great-grandchildren; two step-sons, Lowan Griffin of Potosi and Gary Griffin of Batesville, Ark.; two step-daughters, JoAnn Kestner and Janease Harms, both of Dudley; 17 step-grandchildren, 15 step-great grandchildren; and 1step-great-great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk on Sunday, March 3 at 6 p.m. Funeral services will be conducted on Monday, March 4 at 11 a.m. in the White-Sanders Funeral Chapel with Rev. Jerry Metcalf officiating. Interment will follow in the Dudley Cemetery with White-Sanders Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

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