Nancy James: Graceful Prayer Warrior and Beloved Matriarch

Almost 93 years ago, Nancy Ellen Repass, was born in Ajo, Arizona on 0ctober 10, 1929 to Merle Marion Repass and Nancy Esther Dalton Repass. Even from a young age, she was gracious and spirited. Her smile lit up any room, and people gravitated towards her charm. While attending Radford College in Virginia, her life changed when she met C.R. "Jesse" James, Jr. Before she graduated in 1950, Jesse proposed, and she said "Yes!" After their engagement, Jesse was her soulmate until he was ushered into heaven in 2005.

Nancy and Jesse were married July 29,1950 at Metropolitan Memorial Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. They put their roots down in Cedar Hill, Texas, anchoring their lives on Biblical principles and serving their community. The foundation of their legacy began with their children: Calvin, Marion, Jean, Matthew, and Paul. They also became legal guardians for Patricia Gonzales. Their children produced nine grandchildren. Cal (and Carolyn) had Tracey and Whitney, Marion (and Thurston) had Trey and Brian, Jean (and Chip) had Keturah, Noah and Naomi, and Matt (and Pat) had Rex and Kristy. "The James Gang" family tree continues to grow---there are now 13 great grandchildren! Nancy was the matriarch of her family who lovingly referred to her as "Nannie."

In her free time, Nancy read mystery novels and watched Matlock reruns. She enjoyed hot tea with a sweet treat while swapping stories with her dear friends. And she loved to make memories with her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

The biggest legacy that she leaves behind is a deep commitment to faith and belief in the value of prayer. Nancy was a long-time member of the First United Methodist Church and very connected to her church family. She was a noble and fierce prayer warrior, and the epitome of a "Proverbs 31 woman." Nancy led by example by reading her Bible every single day and often asked her loved ones how she could pray for them. (She would scribble down those prayer requests, and then follow up on them after she prayed!)

Nancy spent the last eight years of her life at Champions Cove in Duncanville, where she loved to be part of the active senior community. She made many wonderful friends and kept up with her perfectly coiffed hair, of course! On August 5, 2022, Nancy died peacefully while surrounded by love and will be reunited with those who passed before: her parents, youngest son, Paul, husband, and son-in-law, Chip Kingery. She will be dearly missed by all who will carry on her memory and legacy, including her sister Marion Dedrick and her husband, Bob, residing in Saranac Lake, New York.

A graveside service for Nancy will be held Saturday, August 20, 2022 at Little Bethel Cemetery in Duncanville. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial gifts to

Global Training Network, noted #44601, P.O. Box 6507, Peoria, AZ 85385 or online: (https://gtn.org/who/provision-asia).