James Lindsey Nimmons, Jr., 91, of Conroe, Texas went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. He honored God’s call upon his life, to serve and preach the gospel to the very end—even serving as nursing home chaplain the final week of his life.
“Lindsey” (also called Buddy) was born in Houston, TX on July 22, 1933, to James Lindsey Nimmons and Clara Mae Truett Nimmons. He attended grade school in Anderson and Pickens, S.C., attended Hogg Junior High and Reagan High School in the Houston Heights, then graduated from New Waverly High School in 1950.
During his freshman year at Sam Houston State Teacher’s College in Huntsville, he surrendered to God’s call to preach and was licensed to the gospel ministry by New Waverly Baptist Church. He transferred to Baylor University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Bible and a minor in English in 1954. While at Baylor, he accepted his first pastorate at First Baptist Church of Lyons, Texas where he was ordained to the ministry.
He was called to plant churches in areas where they were scarce, and while in college spent summers planting churches in Northern California. After Baylor, he enrolled in Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Berkley, California, where he met Jacqueline Cliburn, who became his wife in 1959. In 1957, he hitchhiked to New York City to volunteer during the Billy Graham crusade at Madison Square Garden. He later joined the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Worldwide Pictures, where he distributed Christian films in California and beyond.
After seminary, he founded the First Baptist Church of Townsend, Montana, and pastored over a dozen churches in California, Texas, Oregon, and even Canada. Lindsey also shared the gospel in The Philippines, Japan, India, Mexico, Israel, and beyond. He enjoyed camping, fishing, and loved to travel the world. Lindsey was a hard worker who knew no stranger, no service or sacrifice too great. He always had love and a smile for anyone and everyone he met. He also loved the color red and was well-known for his red bow tie.
He is survived by his son, Jim Nimmons (Silvia) and their six children: Noble (Johanna), Dayspring (Joshua) Reeves, Caleb, Elizabeth, Josiah, and Jedidiah Nimmons; daughter Nancy Boyens, and daughter, Priscilla Doremus (Dan) and their children, Meredith and Dylan; two great-grandchildren; sister Elizabeth Boughner of Ridgeway, Colorado; brother-in-law Alan Cliburn of Van Nuys, California; sister-in-law Joanne Nimmons of Snohomish, Washington; and, sister-in-law Barbara Nimmons of Houston, Texas.
A funeral service for James will be held Monday, August 26, 2024 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM at Mims Baptist Church, 1609 Porter Rd, Conroe, TX 77301. Following the funeral service will be a graveside from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77038.
