PATTONSBURG, MO: James H. Everly, 79, of Pattonsburg, MO departed this life Tuesday, January 24, 2017 in Bethany, MO.
He was born March 20, 1937 near Jameson, MO the oldest of five children born unto John Maxwell Everly and Edra Caryl (Long) Everly. They preceded him in death.
Jim attended the Coffey R-1 School where he graduated in 1955. Jim played basketball during his high school years. Tall and skinny at the time, Jim was a very fast runner and was able to rebound. During his childhood Jim was raised on the farm. Jim always told stories of how he would look for things to take apart, just so that he could put them back together again. His mother always told the story about one Christmas morning, Jim had received a new toy train. Instead of playing with the train, as most young boys would do, Jim began to tear into the train to determine how it ran. Sure enough, he was able to get it back together. Jim often laughed about making chains for his tricycle out of baling wire, just so he could ride through the mud holes without getting stuck. His early years were just the beginning for his mechanical skills. Jim always enjoyed a good âchallengeâ as he would call them, from tearing into a vehicle for repair or one of his many tractors. Jim was known for his mechanical skills which he attended numerous classes for including various trade schools. Jimâs mechanical knowledge was used daily. Even up to the day he passed, he would receive calls from his children and grandchildren asking for his advice if their car, truck or tractor had an issue.
After graduation, Jim joined his father back on the family farm to begin his farming career. When Jim was just 22 years old, his father passed away leaving the responsibility of the family farm to him. Shortly after losing his father, Jim realized that he would need a partner to help in this task. On July 21, 1960, Jim married Shirley Colleen Meadows in Edgerton, Missouri. Jim would tell about their wedding day which began with him picking her up after work, driving to the florists to purchase their flowers and then to the church for their wedding. Jim and Shirley didnât get to enjoy a honeymoon immediately following, he always said he had to get back to work the next day. Tilling the land was the life Jim knew. In the spring time, Jim would always say that a freshly tilled or planted field was the prettiest. He loved the smell of fresh worked soil. One of his famous quotes was âcheck the lights, we have to run all nightâ just to get the planting or harvest complete before the incoming storms. Together Jim and Shirley tilled, planted, harvested even trucked together their yearly crops.
To this union there were four daughters. Deborah Kay Meadows, Rebecca Shirlene, Carol Sherece and Laura Sherill. Jim always spoke about his tough life living with 5 women. He never had any private time in his own bathroom without one of his girls needing a hairbrush or needing to brush their teeth. Jim taught all of his daughters to operate his tractors and to be independent. Whether it was discing in front of the planter or unloading grain trucks, he taught his girls the hard work that farmers are faced with.
Jim loved fast sports, including tractor pulling, race cars and football. In his younger years Jim was known for his 58 Pontiac Bonneville convertible, pulling tractor and attending numerous car races. In later life his daughters could never understand how when daddy went to sleep watching a car race and they tried to change the channel, he would always wake up.
Jim was a member of the 129th Field Artille ry Battalion out of Albany Missouri for 8 years. He served many years on the Coffey School Board, where he was also a bus driver. Jim was a member of the Coffey Lions Club, Western Star Lodge #15 AF & AM Masonic Lodge of Winston, the Daviess County ASCS board and the Pattonsburg Christian Church.
Jim came to know the Lord on September 29, 2002 at the Pattonsburg Christian Church.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Shirley Everly, of the home; daughters, Sherece (James) Eivins, Bethany, MO, Laura (Mark) Clark, Maysville, MO, Rebecca (David) Nalle, Pattonsburg, MO, Debbie Daniel, Bethany, MO; grandchildren, Logan, Lauren, Lindsey, and Larissa Eivins, Elana and Caydin Clark, Kenny, Bradley, and Justin Nalle, Megan, Marissa, and Drake Daniel; great grandchildren, Bryson, Cole, and Riley Nalle, Aidan Daniel, Jackson Ten Hulzen, and Brecken Morgan.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 28 at Roberson Funeral Home, Bethany, MO. Burial will follow in Coffey Cemetery, Coffey, MO. The family will receive friends from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home where friends may call after 9:00 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Pattonsburg Christian Church and/or Coffey Cemetery in care of Roberson Funeral Home, PO Box 46, Bethany, MO 64424. Online condolences may be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com