A Tribute To Colleen James
(Written by Shirley Hardman, a friend, and shared at her funeral by her neighbor, Leon Astle) – June 16, 1980
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I have been asked by my good neighbors, the James Family, to talk with you this morning and tell you about their wife and mother – Colleen, a warm, loving human being and friend to us all…to share some special memories and to pay tribute to the full, rich life she led.
Colleen Egan James was born January 7, 1930 in Logan to Delbert and Effie June Egan. She grew up and attended school a few miles to the north in the community of Richmond, Utah.
On September 20th 1952, she married Wilford L. James and in 1957 they went to the Logan Temple to be sealed to each other for time and all eternity. This marriage was blessed with three children: Brenda, who is now twenty-four, Douglas – twenty-two and Michael, who is nineteen.
Colleen has two brothers – Earl and Walt, and a sister, Georgia, as well as a devoted son-in-law, David, and two grandchildren – Aaron and Stacie, who were the “apples of her eye”.
The memories I’d like to share with you come from visiting and chatting with her family and friends as they recalled Colleen – who she really was and how she really was. Through their rememberings we catch a glimpse of a warm and loving person we’ll all recognize and long remember.
From the very first it was clear that Colleen loved and had a talent for music. She began her career as an instrumentalist on her Dad’s old coronet bet later switched to the French horn for the school band; and that was the instrument she enjoyed most recently when she performed with the Logan Community Band. She played drums and marimba as well, not to mention her talent at the keyboard.
Her parents remember that Colleen often sat down to the piano and “played her heart out”…sometimes for hours. And, it didn’t take a detective to know whether she was happy or sad because her music always matched her mood.
Her talented fingers played on through the years at the piano and organ, for family and friends, for weddings and funerals and talent shows, accompanying singers and instrumentalists, for an endless variety of church and community occasions and as both ward and stake organists. It’s actually hard to imagine how so many events could have been so successful without Colleen to help with the music.
Not only did she willingly share her own talents but Colleen had a knack for finding talent in others and helping them to help it grow! She had a persuasive way of involving people and convincing them that they had something to offer. And, if they didn’t have something right then she taught them so that soon they did. Many, many are the music lessons she gave for a nominal fee and often for no fee at all.
Colleen was not only a musician but an organizer and teacher as well, as is attested by untold hours of service to the Primary, MIA, Sunday school, Ward Service and Activities Committee and to the Relief Society. She loved people and she loved doing with them and for them …but most of all she loved her family.
They remember her saying, “Your family is most important of all” and she lived by those words. She was determined to be the best wife, mother, Aunt and Grandmother it was in her to be!
Parents are family and she was devoted to hers – visiting weekly, helping to care for their yard and even organizing a family painting party to spruce up her folks’ home…enjoying their company because, as she said, “we won’t always have them with us.”
Kids are family too and Colleen was always involved with hers and for hers – taking pride in their accomplishments and helping those accomplishments happen.
Brenda recalls the years of dance lessons and costumes that resulted in her opening her own home studio last year and her own first dance review, a month ago, dedicated to the mother who’d made it all possible and who had known she could do it all along.
Then there were the music lessons – weekly trips to Ogden, for several years, entertaining on programs together and phone calls – sometimes several a day because they so enjoyed each others company!
…And how Colleen loved Brenda’s husband (just like one of her own) and her grandkids. She was always willing to baby sit, frequently presenting treats and surprises and always having a little gum in her purse because they expected it!
Doug recalls her ready encouragement, her faith in each of them that helped them know they could tackle any job and get it done.
Mike’s contribution to the memory list was short and sweet but full of meaning…”She listened”…”whenever I had a problem or just needed to talk, she was there and she listened.” -Two words that hold a world of meaning!
Yesterday was to have been a special day at the James’ – a big party (Colleen liked to celebrate BIG)! ...a combined event to celebrate Father’s Day, Doug’s Birthday, to honor David’s recent graduation from USU and Mike’s being ordained an Elder. How proud she was of the men in her life. They did things! ...and she was always there to help them do them right for Colleen wasn’t one to sit back and just let things happen. She was never afraid to speck out and let others know how she felt. She was always concerned and she possessed the natural leadership to make her presence felt – at home and abroad. This special quality was no doubt one of her greatest assets as she served as president of the local Republican Women’s Organization and possibly was responsible for her selection to give the seconding speech for the nomination of one of the current candidates for office. The Cub Scouts, Community Children’s Theatre and 4 H Organization were also generous recipients of her time.
Yes, family is parents and family is children but first of all family is husband and companion.
Wilf recalls that he and Colleen were truly, as she put it – “best friends”. They shared everything, even to jogging, racquetball and losing weight together. She supported him as little league Football Coach and she loved the kids and she loved the games. Together they shared the Aggie Basketball games.
During the nine years he served as Bishop, she was always supportive and helpful, never interfering and always encouraging him to fulfill his calling because – “they need you”. She enjoyed her role as the Bishop’s wife.
At home if there were ever any problems she was hear to say: “Oh, we don’t really have any problems, we just have to deal with them”! Wilf describes her as a devoted wife and remembers that she always kept herself attractive – nicely groomed and her hair neatly combed…that lovely red hair! And, she chose nice clothes, nice for her coloring and her own individual style.
In fact, Colleen liked “nice” things. Her home and her yard speak well for her. Even now the outside is groomed and ready for summer. The petunias are in place and the little rock garden is blooming. She did take pride and pleasure in her yard and garden, growing and preserving good things for her family to eat and enjoy.
Inside are attractive furnishings and the handy work of her busy hands – afghans and pillows she knit and crocheted herself, though when she found time is hard to imagine for not only did she look after a busy family but for the past ten years she has been employed by the University Traffic Office at the University.
Many, many are the townspeople and students who will remember her cheery “hi” and the twinkle in her eye as she greeted them from the parking booths on campus.
And… it was just this year that she answered the beckoning call of the University to higher education for herself and followed her own advice to her family “to give college a fair try for at least one year.” Her mental calendar was already marked for her own graduation sometime in the future.
Yes, it would be hard to imagine a more versatile, adventuresome soul than Colleen James. Her warmth and caring, her calm in the midst of confusion, her sparkle and enthusiasm and ability to make the ordinary – “fun” will be missed by us all but those we hold most dear never truly leave us…they live on in the kindness they showed, the comfort they shared and the love they brought into our lives.*
Our challenge is to carry it on, to pass it along, to let her light so shine through us that the world will be a better place because we both were here …She would like it that way.
It is my prayer that we may do so. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
(*Thoughts by Isabel Norton)
and we worked on baby books. We all had fun. The guys did "man things" like watch football on TV and play football at the park. 
So We just needed one with them all smiling . It was close!
nightHotel stay at Primm so we took them up on the offer and went for a mini vacation. We stayed at Whisky Petes. Secutity only came once to tell us to behave!~ The kids were all in the shower in their swimming suits having a party after playing in the hot tub outside in the cold air. So we drank hot chocolate and all calmed down. Allie and John had a sleep over in grandmas room...hee hee. The next morning we had a pancake party in the Hansons room! We know how to party!
