DATELINE – Nara Visa, New Mexico, New Mexico.
NAME: Elaine James, beloved wife, sister, mom, and grammie Elaine James of Nara Visa, NM decided on Sept 5, 2025 a world filled with West Nile Virus was not as enticing as one with streets of gold.
SERVICES: Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at the Logan Methodist Church, in Logan, New Mexico with Rev. John M. Barrett, Pastor officiating. Burial will follow in the Obar Cemetery by Hass Funeral Directors of Clayton, New Mexico. Please visit www.hassfuneralhome.com to view the online obituary and sign the guest book.
BACKGROUND: Up until her last conscious moments she was giving her husband of 50 years Louis Frank James; children Curtis (?), Jennie (Paul), Cody (Kodie), and Don; grandkids Nash, Katie Jo, Sidney, Jacob, Carlee, Ryan, Elisha, and Asa; and numerous other friends and family instructions on how to serve the Lord who loved you despite your failings (which she wasn’t afraid to help point out and correct), supporting the unique talents you were given, and having a willing ear and hand at any time.
Those who likely got tagged to intercept her from immediately interrogating Jesus ‘about all the things we’ll just have to ask him since we don’t know why’ were her parents Avis (CC) Watson and Eudora Cavener Watson Harris, Ed Harris; sibling Alvis, in-laws Newt & Inalue James, Naomi & GN and many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, niece, and friends.
Born in Clovis, NM in June of 1951, she claimed to have been a daddy’s girl growing up in Crossroads, NM who pestered two siblings and cousins in an alternate universe since many times stories didn’t match up with ‘what really happened’.
After graduating from ENMU with an education degree like so many in her family, she taught for a year at Logan where she met Louis, married and raised the kids on the family’s ranch. While the government may have listed her as a housewife, she carried so many other titles like Sunday School teacher, Momma Joe Jernigan (aka sports, 4-H, & FFA chauffeur & cheerleader), 4-H volunteer, master cherry crunch maker, photographer and soundboard to many. While her degree may have been in education over the years her love of her children and their interests led her to also be an expert in all the sports disciplines the kids participated in, animal physiology & husbandry, meat science, NASCAR, and dinosaurs. She was well known to be the person who held the cattle up while everyone else drove them in to her as she preferred to go at a walk – unless confronted by a mountain lion.
Like everyone, she had challenges throughout her life- severed triceps brachial nerve that left her with a flipper for a bit, broken sternum from the horse/mountain lion meeting, need for a kidney transplant that had plenty of complications, broken ribs right before the mosquito got the best of her. She always said focusing on other’s needs made you realize how lucky you were which meant she continued to be the unlicensed therapist for the random checkout line people, strangers on planes and events, and all the family and friends that depended on her willingness to pick up the phone, drive hours just to visit, or stand in the store aisle for hours.
While the ultimate list maker may have broken her rule of always being the last to leave in case help was needed, Elaine left Earth with legacy of true servant leadership, the desire for one more back scratch, a ton of memories, and a pile of dishes. Well done, good and faithful servant.
MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made in Elaine’s memory to Cal Farley Boys Ranch, 8 Julian Bivins Blvd., Boys Ranch, Texas 79010.
