James Emery Courtney

           James E. Courtney, 92, Lowry City, MO departed this life on August 4, 2022.  James was born northeast of Holden, Missouri on the family farm on July 19, 1930, the son of James T. and Edith (Hampton) Courtney.  He attended elementary school at Warrensburg, Garden City and Spickard, then back to Garden City to attend and finish high school.  He was baptized at the Baptist Church in Garden City on August 22, 1943.

            After attending high school, he joined the Army and completed basic training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, then to Camp Lee, Virginia for further training.  He was then transferred to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.  He re-enlisted and volunteered for duty in Korea in 1951, returning to United States in 1952.

            He met Eleanor V. Jones while at West Point, marrying March 25, 1949.  Seven children were born to this union.  The couple moved back to Garden City and James started to work at The Bendix Corporation, retiring from there after 35 years of service.  The family enjoyed Sunday afternoon rides stopping at Dairy-O for ice cream or sodas.

            James married Ardith Brock in 1974 raising younger children together.

            He spent about 15 yrs. with Boy Scouts at Garden City and many summers at Bartle Scout Preservation being a Mic-Say tribesman.

            He always loved St. Clair County and moved to Gerster in 1992.  He was a member of the Gerster Baptist Church.  He had a dual membership of the AF&AM Masonic Lodges of Osceola and Roscoe, Mo.

            For many years James was associated with White Buffalo clan of the Yankton Sioux of South Dakota learning their customs and about their spirituality.  He has two Hunka adopted relatives, Randy Hartley of Humansville, Missouri and Terry Morgan of Cleveland, Missouri.

            Preceding him in death are his parents, wife Ardith, sister Pat, brother in law David, son James, Jr., a granddaughter and a great-grandson.

            He is survived by four daughters, Judy (Jim) Crossley, Denise (Darrel) Pulliam, Susan Pulliam, Joyce (Paul) Hern, and two sons, Doug (Melinda) Courtney and Matthew Courtney, and also many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, other relatives and close friends.

A Masonic Service will be 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at the Dickey Funeral Home, Harrisonville, Missouri with the funeral service to follow.  Burial with Military Honors will be in the Garden City Cemetery, Garden City, Missouri

The family will receive friends Tuesday, August 9, 2022 from 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Croix Hospice.