OBITUARY of JAMES P. WEDEL

OBITUARY of JAMES P. WEDEL

MULESHOE – A celebration of the life of James Powell Wedel, 92, of Muleshoe will be held Saturday, July 2, at 10:00 a.m. at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Monty Leavell officiating.

          Burial will be in Muleshoe Cemetery under the direction of Ellis Funeral Home.  Family visitation will be from 7:00 pm until 8:00 pm on Friday at the funeral home.

          James was taken by the Lord on Saturday, June 25, 2011.  He was born May 1, 1919, in Hayden, AZ, to Alton Frederick and Mary Fern Wedel.  He married Doris Eleanor Kauffman on Sept. 19, 1942, in Muskogee, OK.  She preceded him in death on October 6, 2001. He was also preceded in death by all of his siblings:  Harold and Gerold Wedel, Alta Fern Bock, June Free, and an infant, Nancy. 

James graduated from Littlefield high school in 1937, and attended Texas Tech, before joining the Cavalry and later the Army Air Corps.  He was assigned to the 417th Bomb group of the Army Air Corps and flew over 60 missions in the Pacific.

He moved from Littlefield to Muleshoe in 1948 and established his farming operation in the West Camp area.  He helped establish the local Farm Bureau, and was a leader in the Progress Methodist church---holding virtually every official position, and later served on various committees of the First United Methodist church in Muleshoe where he was a dedicated member of the Willing Workers Sunday School class.  Throughout his lifetime in Muleshoe, some of his awards and service include:  Blackwater Valley SWCD---Outstanding Conservation Farmer, Soil & Water Conservation District of Texas, Region 1, Resident Conservation Farmer Award.  He also served on the FMHA Loan Committee, and the High Plains Research Foundation.

          But, he will be remembered most for his example of ceaseless generosity in every aspect of his life----from his years of service to his church and community to Meals on Wheels and volunteer work at the nursing home. He will also be remembered for his sense of humor, his gracious acts of kindness, his outstanding moral character, and his dedication to his Christian faith. 

Survivors include his six children: Mary Ellen Stanton of Grand Prairie; Jane Layton of Albuquerque, NM; Wanda Jennings of Boise, Idaho; Carolyn Patrick of La Place, LA; Charlotte Davis of Memphis, TN; Jimmy Wedel of Muleshoe; 10 grandchildren: Christa Mahler, Aaron Stanton, Chuck Lence, Richard Lence, Eric Patrick, Alicia Cardillo, Shelli Richard, T.J. Davis, Jami Moubry, Brant Wedel, 8 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren.

Memorials are suggested to First United Methodist Church of Muleshoe, or the Muleshoe Meals on Wheels.