Ted Lee James, 79, died Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, at his home in Elk Creek.
He was born July 8, 1933, in Bucyrus, son of Reuben James and Norma Hinkle James Spencer. He and Versa Coats were married Aug. 3, 1957, at Union Church in Cabool.
Following his birth in Bucyrus, he grew up in the communities of Bado, Cabool and Houston. He attended Union School in Cabool and graduated from Houston High School in 1951. He enjoyed playing football his senior year.
He joined the Marine Corp and served at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Korea and Japan. Upon completion of his military service, he worked as a carpenter and in the logging industry in California and Oregon before returning to Missouri.
He attended Union Church, where he accepted Christ at a revival and was baptized at Flat Rocks in January 1951. He attended First Baptist Church in Houston with his family. In recent years, he watched Billy Graham crusades on television.
He was on the construction crew at Table Rock Lake and several office buildings in Springfield. He was a dairy and beef cattle farmer in Buffalo, Houston and Bucyrus. He raised corn, alfalfa and hay on his Big Piney River farm near the Horseshoe Bend. He also operated heavy equipment and owned a custom bulldozing business. He owned several sawmills, where he produced many railroad ties.
He loved horses, music, Bluegrass festivals, playing the guitar, square dancing, singing and riding fox trotting horses on trail rides. He was part of the bicentennial trail ride in 1976 to Jefferson City to support the community cancer rides.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, David; a daughter, Lea; and his former wife, Versa.
Survivors include two daughters, Maris Herndon of Columbia and Nancy Moger of Carl Junction; four siblings, Gerald James and Lean James of Houston, Joyce Scott of Seymour and Doris McAnulla of Ozark; five grandchildren; and a great-grandson.
Services with military honors are 2 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at First Baptist Church. Visitation is 1 p.m. until service time. Private graveside services will be in Union Cemetery.
Donations may be given to Union Cemetery c/o Evans Funeral Home, 224 S. Grand Ave., Houston, Mo., 65483.
