James Ruel McCord, born May 6th, 1937, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on February 1st, 2025. He was a graduate of Ecru High School. James was preceded in death by his father, Floyd Dixon McCord, mother, Opal Sullivan McCord, and his two sisters, Betty Sue Windham and Howard Anne Wielgosz.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Dorothy McMillen McCord, his two children, James R. “McGoo” McCord, II., and Jill McCord Jones, his first cousin, Cindi Tutor, his 12 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
James began as a farmer, then in 1968, he started M&M Lumber Company. He later went into commercial construction, working with Holiday Inn Corporation, which took him around the region. He then worked at Brown & Root Inc.,-Halliburton, which allowed him to travel abroad. He worked in Bandar Abbas, Iran and on Arizona Island building for Hess Oil Refinery. He next went to Diego Garcia in 1983 to work on the construction of a U.S. military air base. He continued his employment with Halliburton, working in Grenada, MS on a paper mill, in Florida at a cardboard manufacturer and Pascagoula on an oil refinery.
He later went to Prior Construction building many buildings for them as well over a 12 year span.
After retirement, James carried on building many homes. He later started McCord Construction, LLC., contracting with the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation to make homes handicapped accessible. He was also a farmer and rancher, working many head of cattle and goats.
The legacy of James Ruel McCord has built will carry on through his son, daughter, and grandsons for many more generations to come.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at Browning Funeral Home, from 5 to 8 PM and from 11 to 1 PM Wednesday at Selah Baptist Church.
The funeral service will be held on February 5th, 2025 at Selah Baptist Church beginning at 1 PM, with graveside services to follow in Ecru Cemetery.
