WILKINS, James Wallace

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona - 07/13/2004 James Wallace Wilkins, 89, died at the home of his daughter Wednesday, July 7, 2004. Wallace was born May 8, 1915 in Nutrioso, to Orson and Leona Lund Wilkins. He was the seventh of eleven children. He married Genevieve Phelps Wilkins in the Mesa, Arizona temple Nov. 8, 1935. He cherished and cared for her throughout their marriage. She died in 2003. Wallace learned the value of hard work as a child, a trait he passed on to his children and grandchildren. Although he has had many other jobs, Wallace worked as a certified lumber grader for the Whiting Brother Lumber Company. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he was always serving others In 1935, he served as a missionary in the East Central States Mission, and later in his life he served as a missionary on five additional missions. His great love was to teach the Gospel to others. He also served in the Sunday School and MIA organizations of the church. Wallace is survived by three sons, Phelps (Kay), Springerville; Stuart (Vicki) Eagar; Jerry (Pat) Roy, Utah; and one daughter, Charlotte (Mike) Deets, Chandler, one sister, Irene Hale, St. Johns; one brother, Byron, Eagar. He had 10 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife Genevieve, his parents, five sisters, three brothers and one granddaughter. Funeral services will be held Monday, July 12, at 11 a.m. at the Eagar LDS chapel with a viewing an hour prior at 10 a.m. Interment will take place at the Eagar City Cemetery. Burnham-Jewkes Mortuary, Springerville, is in charge of arrangements.