James N. Rundell

James N. Rundell was born August 2, 1910 in Bisbee, Arizona, while it was still a United States territory. At the time his parents, Otto and Della Rundell were homesteaders in the Sulphur Springs Valley, north of Bisbee. He attended the Whitewater Elementary School near Elfrida, Arizona and graduated from Bisbee High School in 1926. After two years of attending Tempe State Teachers College, now Arizona State University, he received his teacher’s certification in 1928, and began his teaching career at the Double Adobe Elementary School near Elfrida, Arizona at the age of nineteen. The following year he became the principal and teacher at McNeal, Arizona where he met the love of his life, Lois Gurley, who was also teaching in the school. After a time of dating, in 1931 they eloped to Lordsburg, New Mexico because a married woman in those depression days could not teach school, thus taking a job away from a man. In 2006 they celebrated their seventy fifth wedding anniversary. James taught in various schools for eleven years before he bought land in the area, cleared it and began farming. He loved farming and ranching and soon wanted more land, so in 1950 after selling his farm he moved to Texas and bought a ranch near Florence. But that was the year that a prolonged drought began in central Texas and in 1952 he began work with the Ft. Worth District of the U.S. Corps of Engineers at Ft. Hood. For the next twenty five years he helped in the construction of many buildings, landing strips, water tanks, and anything else that the army needed. After retirement, he spent his time traveling, working on the ranch and leading in the construction of the present sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of Florence. Because of his knowledge and contacts with building suppliers, along with the sacrificial giving of the membership and the dedicated volunteer labor, the building was finished without having any debt. James made a decision to follow Jesus as his Saviour and Lord in 1947 and became an ardent, self taught Bible student. He has always loved his church and has served as deacon, Sunday School teacher, choir member and in various other ways. He is survived by his wife; Lois Rundell of the home; two daughters and their husbands, Sylvia and Ed Rogers of Georgetown and Fayma and Jay Humphreys of Florence; two sisters, Ermine Powell of Woodland, California and Olive Watson of Tucson, Arizona; seven grandchildren, Janna Hill, Susan Morrison, Richard Rogers, James Humphreys, Regina Garrell, Alice Humphreys and Jason Humphreys; along with eleven great grandchildren. Serving as Pallbearers were Stayton Thompson, Joe Bland, Billy Stevens, Kenneth Brizendine, Poke Hood, and Cecil Jenkins. Visitation was at 9:00AM and the Service was held at 10:00AM on Wednesday, February 17, 2007 at the First Baptist Church in Florence, Texas. Interment followed at the Florence Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to the Building Fund at the First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 9, Florence, TX 76527.