Vera L. James passed away on Thursday, April 9, 2020 with her family by her side, in Beaumont California. From her birth in Lipscomb, Alabama in 1936 to her death she nourished people around her with love, faith, and life lessons. She was the eldest of four children.
She was an avid reader, anyone who knows Vera can recount the number of times she would tell the story about how her parents would give Vera the list of chores, which she would then pass on to her younger sisters to complete, while she would be tucked away in a corner reading romance novels.
She moved to California in 1945. In 1956 she married Nelson Wiley, Sr. who brought to the marriage one child and from their union came three children. In 1971 she married Jesse James Jr. who brought to the marriage five children. This union created the epitome of a blended family, there was no stepmom or stepdad, there was only Mom and Dad. The family moved to Pasadena, California in 1973. She worked as a data entry operator for California Casualty Insurance, BF Goodrich, and Ralph Parsons before becoming a full-time homemaker in 1987. Vera and Jesse were married for 24 years. In 1995, Jesse James Jr. passed away.
In 1997, Vera moved to Delhi, California to live near her sisters. She attended Delhi Missionary Baptist Church in Delhi, California. She was an active member of the church where she served as a Sunday School Teacher. Vera accepted the Lord into her heart at an early age and was not ashamed to say that she loved the Lord.
After the passing of her sister’s husband, Vera and her sister Dorothy became roommates once again, and moved to Murrieta, California in 2005.
In 2012, she moved to Beaumont, and became a member of Crossword Christian Church in Moreno Valley, California, where she was an active member of the Bridge Builders Ministry (55+ Group). As a member of Bridge Builders, she participated in weekly bible studies, fashion shows, potlucks, quarterly birthday and annual holiday celebrations, plays and skits. She absolutely loved everything about the fellowship, friendships, food and fun afforded her in being a part of the group.
Sis, Mom, Ma, Auntie, Grandma, Mrs. James, Sis. James, Ms. Vera, no matter what you called her, she touched the heart of everyone she encountered. She was a kind, and loving person who always kept a positive outlook in every situation. Her final days were spent surrounded by family and friends that Vera had touched in some small way.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Burnice and Virginia Blackburn; her husband(s) Nelson Wiley and Jesse James Jr; her sister Shirley Burnett; her brother Ben Blackburn; and her granddaughter Camille Wiley.
She is survived by her children: Nelson (Sheila) Wiley, Jr, John (Veronica) Wiley, Carolyn (Perry) Wiley-Camp, Franchesta (Richard) James-Grove, Genel Wiley, Carlisa (Reggie) James-Stuart, Felisha Willis, Anthony James and Lee (Gracie)Cooper. Sisters Dorothy Samuel, and Clauzella Saucer, brother Willie Patton; sister-in-law Zoraina James; brothers-in-law, John (Doris) Lynch, James Burnett and Frank Saucer; and life-long friends Verna Buncum and Georgia Winston.
She is also survived by fifteen grandchildren: Twanisha, Javier, Nelson III, Christopher, Jessica, Jasmine, She-nel, Courtney, Adrian, Derrick, Moraya, Lee Jr, Gizzale, Anthony and Richard. sixteen great-grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives’ and friends.
Memorial details will come once social distancing restrictions have been removed.
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