Anna Jean James

To everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven, a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to keep and a time to cast away. --Ecclesiastes

We are gathered here today in the loving memory of my grandmother, Anna Jean James -- Grandma, so that together we may acknowledge and share both our joy in the gift that her life was to us, and the pain that her passing brings. In sharing the joy and the pain together today, may we lessen the pain and remember more clearly the joy, and her laughter and beautiful smile.

Anna Jean was 86 years old when the LORD took her on August 22, 2016, in Riverside, California. It was her time. It is hard to say goodbye. As her grandson Daniel once said, "Grandma, you were always there." She was always home, always the homemaker. Even though she is gone now, she has left the legacy of her love and perseverance. Her love was undying. Her love for JESUS was personal as well as a love she confessed to everyone and shared with everyone. Anna Jean James loved the LORD JESUS. She loved her husband John Earl Douglas James, she loved her children, and she loved, loved her grandchildren. I ask you to keep those memories alive by sharing them.

One of the most important things in Grandma's life was her family and remaining near to them and in touch with them even if it could only be by phone or mail. As her grandson James said, he has stacks of ecouraging letters and cards from her that he has kept. She had moved and traveled so much in her years of marriage, literally from the parish-life in Nebraska to the shores of Tripoli, to Texas until she and Grandpa settled in Riverside, her home of 47 years, that she loved her home and was a homebody.

Anna Jean was a Christian. She was raised a Methodist and her father was a Methodist Minister and her Mother a Preacher's wife. She grew up living in parish homes and participating in the Methodist religious life and community. Although she and her husband, Grandpa, became spirit-filled Christians and were members of Trinity Christian Center for many years, she still called herself a spirit-filled Methodist, and of course she was baptized Methodist.

Anna Jean had struggles different from many people. She was born with hearing loss. She had illnesses in life, but she managed to keep her priorities straight. Persaverance through adversity is a powerful legacy for us. She endured to the end, in love with JESUS. Let us take comfort in this and learn from this. Don't let adversities or setbacks keep you from love of GOD and love of family and neighbor. Even after her stroke, up to the end, my mother Cindy would ask Grandma, "Do you love JESUS?" She would answer, "Yes." Before her stroke, she would profess her love for JESUS to anyone that would listen. Another thing she would profess was that she would always love her husband, Grandpa, even after he was gone.

I'm so glad I was able to visit with her before she became unresponsive. Just before she passed away it was a blessing that some of her siblings were able to tell her they loved her by phone, her first grandchild James was able to tell her he loved her by phone, and she opened her eyes for these comforts. My sister Marcy and Carson were able to visit her before she passed and tell her they loved her. Also my Mother Cindy and Anna Jean's son-in-law Rick were able to comfort her with her favorite hymns and with prayers and Holy Scriptures throughout her last day.

Knowing how much her family meant to her, and how much she loved them I would like to thank my Aunt Betty Jean and Uncle George for traveling here from Colorado. Betty Jean is Anna Jean's youngest daughter and her name-sake, named after Anna Jean's sister Betty and Anna Jean. The love of JESUS lives on in Betty Jean and George and this too is her legacy.

Anna Jean, Grandma, is survivied by her 2 daughters, Cindy Lee Mishler, and Betty Jean Anderson. Her son John Edward James was her only son and she loved him to death. She is also survived by her son-in-law Richard and her son-in-law George. She is survived also by her 7 grandchildren, James, Daniel and wife Heather, Melinda, Marcella, Robert and wife Rebecca, Douglas and Micheal. She is also survived by her great grandchildren Corbin, Hannah and husband Kyle, Haley and husband Eathon, Nathaniel, Madalyn, Cierra, Emma, Hosea, Mila, Mary and Madalyn, Vanessa, Kurt and Emmi, and her great great grandchildren, Lily, Lily'Ana, and Myles, and her brother Donald and sister-in-law Joann, and her sisters, Maxine, Dorothy, and Ruby.

Now we pray she was gathered to JESUS and her people, her husband John and her son Johnny, and her parents Edgar Thomas and Esta Mae Baldwin, and oldest sister Betty and husband Chuck Bowman, and all those that went before her. May she rest in peace.

We'll close today with the 23rd Psalm 'the LORD is my shepherd', but before we do, on behalf of myself and the rest of the family, I'd like to thank everyone for coming here today.

The Twenty -Third Psalm

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

HE maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

HE leadeth me beside the still waters.

HE restoreth my soul; HE leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for HIS NAME'S sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil for THOU ART with me;

THY rod and THY staff they comfort me.

THOU preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;

THOU anointest my head with oil;

my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will

dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

AMEN.