Joseph Stanley "Stan" James

Joseph Stanley "Stan" James - 92 9/9/1918 - 4/25/2011

Mount Morris, IL - Joseph Stanley "Stan" James, 92, a resident of Pinecrest Manor in Mount Morris, went home to his Lord on April 25, 2011. He was born September 9, 1918 three miles southeast of Mount Morris to Luther and Mary James. He had eight siblings and was preceded in death by brothers Ronald, Walter, Andrew, Carl, Clyde and George and a sister, Ollie (Beard). He is survived by one brother, Leonard (Lorraine) of Mount Morris, and special friend, Gladys Osborne. A lifelong resident of Mount Morris, Stan was well-known in the area as a grocer and meat cutter. He was employed at the A&P in Mount Morris before owning and operating the Royal Blue Food Store for many years. In 1971, he fulfilled a lifelong dream when he opened a larger supermarket called Jamesway Foods, located in the ground floor of the old Mount Morris Hotel. In 1976, James sold Jamesway Foods to retire, but quickly returned to the work he loved as a meat cutter at Cacciatore's grocery in Byron for nearly seven more years. Stan graduated from Mount Morris High School in 1936 where he was senior class president and a member of the National Honor Society. On August 25, 1941, he and Lillie Womack of Mount Morris were married. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943, took part in the battle of Okinawa and was honorably discharged in 1945. In the years that followed, Stan and Lillie had three children: Karen (Randy) Klink of Webster, Wisconsin, Bill (Lisa) James of Martinsville, Indiana and Vicki (Doug) Wean of Oregon. Lillie passed away in 1962. On July 30, 1965, Stan and Janet (Anderson) Bronn of Rockford were married. Janet and her three children swelled the James family to eight and Includes Cynthia (Dave) Holm of Deerfield, Wisconsin, Karl (Sue) Bronn of Freeport and Tim (Sandy) Bronn of Cambridge, Wisconsin. Janet passed away in 1999. Stan was a loving and devoted father to his six children and their spouses and delighted in his ten grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Stan was a humble man but devoted to his faith, his family his country and his community. He served in many capacities for the Mount Morris Council of Churches, the Christian Church and the united Disciples Methodist Church, the Mount Morris Chamber of Commerce, the Mount Morris Planning Commission and the Pinecrest Board of Directors. He was the first president of the Mount Morris Senior Center and served the Center for many years, including ten years of performances in their annual "Jeriatric Jubilee." He also served on the Ogle County Senior Citizens Board, was president of the Ogle County Historical Society, was an active and long-standing member of the Mount Morris Kiwanis Club, the local VFW Post, Mt. Morris American Legion Post 143 and numerous other local service initiatives. He was honored by his community in 1994 as their July 4* Parade Grand Marshal and again in 1999 with the town's "Hall of Thanks" award. Stan lived a full life, enjoying family, neighbors and friends, his work, service to others, yard work, reading, golf (well into his '80's), time spent at their lake cottage in Wisconsin, an avid Cubs and Bears fan and traveling. Upon retirement, he and Janet toured the globe, including England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Yugoslavia, Kenya, Italy, Greece, Finland, Russia, North Africa, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Mexico, Costa Rica and Columbia. They also traveled extensively in the U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska. Stan's celebration of life will be Sat. Apr.30th at Disciples United Methodist Church in Mt. Morris, with Pastor Doc Newcomb officiating. Visitation will be 9 am until time of service at 11. In lieu of flowers, donations to Stan's memory may be made to Disciples United Methodist Church, Pinecrest Community or Ogle County Hospice. Following cremation, James' ashes will be interred in Plainview Cemetery in Mount Morris between the graves of LiIlie and Janet, the two women he said he loved "more than life itself." Visitation: Saturday April 30, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 Disciples United Methodist Church Celebration of Life: Saturday April 30, 2011 11:00 Disciples United Methodist Church