JAMES ANDERSON OLIVER, A BELOVED HUSBAND, FATHER, GRANDFATHER, GREAT GRANDFATHER AND DEVOTED SERVANT OF THE LORD PAST INTO HIS HEAVENLY HOME ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2025. JAMES WAS BORN TO RAYMOND AND VIVA McWILLIAMS OLIVER ON JUNE 15, 1934 IN PRESCOTT. AR.

(JUST A FEW WORDS THAT WOULD DESCRIBE THIS MAN WOULD BE WORDS LIKE: GOD-FEARING, FOCUSED, STEADY, RELIABLE, DETERMINED, DEDICATED, LOYAL.)

HE SURRENDERED HIS LIFE TO CHRIST AT AGE 11, AND LIVED A LONG LIFE OF SERVICE TO HIM. WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL HE SANG WITH A GOSPEL CHOIR OF TEENAGERS.

AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, HE TAUGHT SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR MORE THAN 65 YEARS AND SANG IN THE SANCTUARY CHOIR FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. HE COACHED LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL FOR MANY YEARS, AND PLAYED CHURCH LEAGUE SOFTBALL UNTIL HIS KNEES SLOWED HIM DOWN, PAST THE AGE OF 50.

HE WAS VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE GIDEON MINISTRY HAVING SERVED ON THE LOCAL CABINET SINCE HE JOINED THAT MINISTRY IN 1985. HE SERVED IN SEVERAL POSITIONS ON THE STATE CABINET, INCLUDING CHAPLAIN AND NEW MEMBER COORDINATOR. HE WAS HONORED TO HAVE BEEN INVITED TO HELP WITH A BIBLE BLITZ IN INDIA IN 1997. NORMALLY A RATHER QUIET MAN, IF YOU WANTED TO GET HIM TALKING, MENTION THE GIDEON MINISTRY.

HE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN MANY OTHER PROJECTS OF INTEREST IN THE AREA. HE SERVED ON THE BOARD OF OUACHITA COUNTY COMMUNITY CONCERT ASSOCIATION FOR AT LEAST 40 YEARS, AND AS TREASURER OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.

UNTIL 2015, WHEN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ASSUMED SPONSORSHIP, HE WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE BPW BARN SALE, ESPECIALLY HELPING WITH THE ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION, (DISTRIBUTING POSTERS AROUND SOUTH ARKANSAS-AND FARTHER), AND CLEANING UP AROUND THE BARN.

HE'S EVEN BEEN KNOWN TO MAKE MARY KAY DELIVERIES.

JAMES GREW UP IN A LARGE FAMILY, --4 SISTERS AND 3 BROTHERS. HIS FATHER WAS MANAGER OF THE READER RAILROAD; HIS MOTHER A HOMEMAKER, AND HIS MOST DEVOTED SPORTS SUPPORTER.

GROWING UP IN READER, ARKANSAS, AS A TEEN-AGER, HE SPENT HIS SUMMERS BALING HAY, HELPING TO ERECT THE MOVIE TENT FOR SHOWING MOVIES, OR WORKING AT A SAWMILL...RIDING ON A GARBAGE TRUCK IN CAMDEN COLLECTING GARBAGE (ANYTHING THAT WOULD PAY A FEW DOLLARS.) HE, WITH HIS BROTHER, BROWN, SPENT ONE SUMMER HELPING TO DIG A BASEMENT FOR A NEW HOUSE, USING SHOVELS AND WHEELBARROWS.

HE WORKED FOR GILCHRIST BAG COMPANY FOR 44 YEARS, AND RETIRED AS PLANT MANAGER. DURING MANY OF THOSE YEARS HE ALSO WORKED IN HIS SPARE TIME WITH HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW, EUGENE BURROUGHS, AS A CARPENTER AND HE BECAME QUITE ACCOMPLISHED IN THAT FIELD.

HE SERVED 9 YEARS IN THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD.

AN AVID SPORTSMAN FROM CHILDHOOD, HE BEGAN PLAYING BASKETBALL IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. HE EXCELLED IN BASKETBALL AND LED HIS HIGH SCHOOL TEAM TO DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP. HE LETTERED THREE OF HIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARS. HE GRADUATED WITH TOP HONORS FROM CHIDESTER HIGH SCHOOL. HIS LEADERSHIP AND DETERMINATION CARRIED ON INTO HIS COLLEGE YEARS AT MONTICELLO A & M, AND INTO HIS CAREER.

AN AVID SPORTS SPECTATOR, AND YOU DID'T DARE INTERRUPT HIM WHENEVER THE RAZORBACKS WERE PLAYING, (UNLESS YOU WERE ONE OF HIS GRANDCHILDREN).

HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS, AND BROTHERS WESLEY RAY AND CALVIN WOODROW AS WELL AS SISTERS DELTA (WARREN) BROOME, MONA (BILL) HURLEY, AND DOROTHY (RICHARD) BURTON.

SURVIVERS INCLUDE HIS DEVOTED WIFE, ELOISE JEFFERY OLIVER, HIS DAUGHTER, CHARLOTTE ANN YOUNG OF CAMDEN, HIS SON, MICHAEL WAYNE OLIVER OF BRYANT AND RED HILL TWO STEP-SONS, GREG McMAHEN (KATHY) OF HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, AND LARRY McMAHEN (LANA) OF CAMDEN; SISTER JEWEL BURROUGHS OF HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE AND BROTHER BROWN OLIVER (MAXINE) OF VILLAGE; SISTER-IN-LAW BEVERLEY OLIVER, LOS ANGELES, CA; ELEVEN GRANDCHILDREN, AND SIXTEEN GREAT-
GRANDCHILDREN; NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS.

WHETHER IT WAS BUILDING A RAMP FOR A HANDICAPPED PERSON, SERVING ON A COMMITTEE, OR HELPING WITH SOME OTHER PROJECT IN CHURCH OR IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU COULD ALWAYS FIND HIM BUSY.

PALLBEARERS ARE GIDEONS JERRY JEFFUS, DOUG LANCASTER, TOM MANN, JOHN McGILL, EARL THOMAS AND ROLAND WALTERS. HONORARY PALLBEARERS ARE THE DEACONS OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.

MEMORIALS MAY BE MADE TO FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, CAMDEN, OR TO GIDEONS, INTERNATIONAL.

VISITATION WILL BE 6:00-8:00 PM, MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2025 at PROCTOR FUNERAL HOME.  FUNERAL WILL BE 2:00PM TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2025 AT THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.  BURIAL WILL FOLLOW IN MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY.