James Granville Ward

Services will be 10 a.m. Saturday, March 20, 2010 at the Iowa Park Church of Christ with Mr. Charles Terry officiating. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery under the direction of Dutton Funeral Home.

James was born October 14, 1919 in Swenson, Texas to John Phillip and Irene Hoy Ward. He and Dorothy St. John were married November 8, 1946 in Abilene, Texas. He was a member of Kamay Church of Christ. He lived in Valley View 45 years prior to moving to Wichita Falls. He graduated from Swenson High School and attended Abilene Christian College. He joined the Army Air Corps November 11, 1941 in El Paso, Texas and took basic training at Springfield, Missouri. He was stationed at Merced Base, California as a PE instructor for 1 year. He then was stationed at Reno Air Base, where he met Dorothy, until he was released December 1, 1945 returning to Swenson to farm for one year and then returned to ACC. He graduated from ACC in 1947 with a BS in Physical Education. His first year of teaching was at New Deal where he taught classroom social studies and coached. He moved to Lazbuddy, Texas as a principal, coach, teacher and bus driver for two years. He then moved to Wilson, Texas where he was a coach for one year. While at Wilson he attended Texas Tech where he earned his Masters in Physical Education and in 1952 his Masters in Administration. He returned to Lazbuddy as superintendent in 1952. In 1963 he accepted the superintendent position at Valley View ISD at Kamay, Texas until the consolidation with Iowa Park ISD in 1970. He retired from Iowa Park CISD in 1981 having served as principal at Valley View, Bradford and Kidwell elementary schools. After 2 years of retirement, he returned to Iowa Park to work part-time as a custodian at the high school where he continued to follow their sports program. He quit in 1999.

His parents, son, John, siblings Johnnie Petty, Preston and Clifton and stepmother, Marie Barber Ward, preceded him in death.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy of Wichita Falls; Texas, son, Michael Ward and wife, Sandra, of Kamay; Paul Ward and wife, Jenifer, of Bluegrove, Texas; daughter-in-law, Mona Ward of Grapevine, Texas; grandchildren, Stacy Ward and wife, Renea, of Kamay; Heath Ward of Kamay; Jeremy Carroll and wife, Nicole, of Lakeside City; Carissa Fisher and husband, Michael, of Iowa Park; great grandchildren, Emilee Ward, John Ward, Raylean Webb, Zachary Carroll, Payton Fisher and Callie Fisher; brothers, J.P. Ward of Camarillo, California, Bob Ward of Abilene, Dud Ward of Aspermont, Lon Ward of Levelland; sisters, Nell Greene of Trophy Club and Irene Springer of Abilene; numerous nieces and nephews; brother-in-law, Ralph St. John and wife Lorene of Piedmont, Oklahoma and sister-in-law, Ina Robison of Durant, Oklahoma.

Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Wichita Falls, P.O. Box 4804 Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 or The Tipton Children’s Home P.O. Box 370 Tipton, Oklahoma 73570.

Visitation will be Friday, March 19, 2010 from 7 until 8:30 p.m. at Dutton Funeral Home Chapel.

Condolences may be offered at www.duttonfuneralhome.com.