James Williams

A private memorial service will he held at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico on April 4, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. for James Bowen Williams. James passed away on March 22, 2008 at Mission Arch Care Center. James “Jim” was born in Casper, Wyoming on October 21, 1917 to Robert Clayton Williams and Mary Nancy Love. He grew up in Lovington, New Mexico where much of his family resided and he excelled in football and basketball and a great deal of mischief! He served his country in World War II with the Army’s Fifth Bomber Command and was honorably discharged on August 30, 1945 with the rank of Master Sergeant. He was united in marriage to LaVenia Morene Amerson on April 5, 1958 in Las Vegas, New Mexico. She was the love of his life. They had a perfect love. She preceded him in death on January 18, 1998. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Robert Love Williams. Jim worked as a ranch hand and foreman over the years on several ranches in Texas and New Mexico. Those were his happiest days. When he could no longer do ranch work, he worked as an electrician at his brother’s lumber mill in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Jim was a cowboy poet and grand story teller with a wonderful sense of humor. His family was always his priority, and he loved them dearly. He was a devout Christian and a long time member of Aldersgate Methodist Church. He was known by friends and family as a sweet hearted man, a patriotic man, and a man of honesty and integrity. Jim is survived by his daughter, Nancy W. Wilson and grand-daughter Manda Lynn Wilson or Roswell, his grand-daughter, Autumn Denise Moore of Amarillo, Texas. His grand-daughters were the light of his life. He is also survived by a sister, Rhoda White and her husband Jesse of Shamrock, Texas and their family, a sister-in-law, Patty Williams of Albuquerque, New Mexico and her family, and sister-in-law, Lavern Cagle of Tulia, Texas and other extended family on his wife’s side. He requested that his close friends, Dick and Avis Wright, Joy and Jerry Bostick, and the congregation at Aldersgate Methodist church to be remembered with great fondness at his passing. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Aldersgate Methodist Church in honor of Jim. Please share your thoughts and memories with his family in the online register book at andersonbethany.com Services are under the direction of Anderson-Bethany Funeral Home and Crematory. MY COWBOY CHURCH by James B. Williams My cowboy church is big and wide. From horizon to horizon, big as all outside. From the country I ride to the sky above, that’s where I worship and know God’s love. Sometimes I ride to the top of a hill and pray to the Lord and ask His will. And beg forgiveness for my sinful ways, and vow to Him, there will be better days. I thank Him for the rain that came. I thank and praise Him in the Savior’s name. I thank Him for the horse I ride, and for the love of Jesus that does abide. I thank Him too for the miracle of birth, and all good things that bless this earth. So I will always have cowboy work to do, and to Christ our Lord I’ll always be true. So in this great temple of earth and sky, I can ride and tend cattle and my skill apply. There will be storms and hardships too, but I’ll do just fine, for my Lord is true.

James Williams

October 21, 1917 - March 22, 2008