Bill James

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Billy "Bill" D. James, 71, of Mountain Home, died Tuesday, April 29, 2008, at a local care center.

He had fought a six-month-long battle after having a stroke in October 2007.

A graveside inurnment will be held on Saturday, May 24, at 10:30 a.m. at Mountain View Cemetery. Cremation was under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel.

Bill was born March 24, 1937, in McCalister, Okla., to Willie and Beaulah James. After completion of eleven and half years of school, he left Oklahoma to reside in Barstow, Calif., where he joined the Air Force. After basic training and tech school, he was stationed at Mountain Home where he met and married his wife of 51 years, Helen Wageman James, on March 23, 1957.

Bill served 22 years with the Air Force. He traveled to Texas, Germany, England, Vietnam and Greenland before once again being stationed at Mountain Home, where he and his wife resided.

Bill then went to the College of Southern Idaho and received his Associates Degree in Business and Law Enforcement. After completion he was a deputy sheriff for Twin Falls County. His family moved back to Mountain Home and Billy joined the Mountain Home City Police Department. After the city police, he went on to work for the Department of Corrections of Idaho, in Boise, retiring in 2001.

"We will always remember Billy's fishing abilities," his family said. "He was an avid fisherman, which is one thing his grandchildren will remember. All of his friends knew if Billy wasn't home during the summer months, they could find him on the banks of a stream or lake fishing. Billy also loved gardening and grew his own vegetables."

Bill is survived by: his wife, Helen, of Mountain Home; three sons; Roger and his wife. Lori, of Fallon, Nev.; Tony and his wife, Deneta, Bremerton, of Washington; and Chris and his wife, Renae, Mountain Home; six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Willie and Beaulah James, a sister, Ozella, two daughters, Dawn Marie and Kathryn, and his son, William.