Romans Chapter 10

⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

If given only a few words that he could ever speak, I am sure my father would have chosen these. Dad was born in a dirt floor cabin in the mountains of Virginia, the eighth child of thirteen. Born to parents that were sharecroppers in 1926, he was loved and vital part of the family until his last breath. As a boy, he would hunt, fish and trap to put food on the table. He worked the fields, the lumber mill and grew up knowing the value of an honest day's work and job integrity. In 1944 at the age of seventeen, he joined the US Army Air Corp and was the fourth son in the family to go off to World War II. He was trained to become a radio operator on B-27's. Prior to shipping out to the Pacific, he was injured during a training exercise and remained states side as a MP until the end of the war. In 1946, he moved to Chicago got a job and attended Coyne Electrical School at night on the GI Bill. His intentions were to start his own Radio and TV Repair store back in Virginia. However, someone else opened a store in his hometown, so he continued to work for Imperial Eastman in Chicago from 1946 until his retirement 42 years later in 1988. While visiting his family, Christmas Eve 1948, he met the love of his life, Ruby Marie Parks. They were married July 30, 1949 and shared life together in Chicago and Des Plaines until her death April 8, 2014 a total of almost sixty-five years. By 1951 they were blessed with two sons who they devoted the rest of their lives to them and their families. As strong believers in Jesus Christ, together they served their local churches and in 1962, Dad was ordained a Minister in the American Baptist Association. He also served as a volunteer Chaplin at Lutheran General Hospital and Lee Manor Nursing Home for over 30 years. Our home was always an open house to family friends, neighbors, church members and fellow workers. People of all colors and nationalities, all welcomed, it was like living in a mini UN. Dad front and center sharing the joy of faith and friendship. Music was loved by both Dad and Mom. Many nights of playing and singing of hymns, ballads, the blues, rockabilly, and bluegrass filled the house with my Dad recording it all on a reel to reel tape recorder. Dad would share the Gospel, "The Good News "of Jesus Christ at every opportunity he could. From the pulpit of dozens of churches, The Pacific Garden Mission of Chicago, as guest speaker at business conventions to the neighbor next door. He became known as "Friend Jim." Dad not only shared the talk he walked the walk. Dad taught his sons well. We learned to work and play hard, to finish the job, that our name was important, and taught us to lead by example. No job and especially no person were beneath us. In turn we shared those same values to our own families and friends. He loved to fish. he always said he was not a fisherman, he would say "I catch fish" a big difference. He never came home without something for dinner or the freezer. Dad taught us about tools, cars and motorcycles, how to repair things and how to make something out of nothing. He taught us to "never go away empty handed" for there was always something to do or someone to help. He was a good son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and friend. Most important he was a man saved by the Grace of Jesus Christ. As a boy, born poor, he walked barefoot on rocky mountain paths, now he is a "rich man" walking Heavens streets of gold along with Jesus, our mother and baby sister. This is not goodbye it just a see you later.

We love you Dad.

Your boys,

Ron & Don

Private family services will be taking place at Memory Gardens Cemetery with Military Honors.