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JAMES LAMAR SWEEDEN SR PASSED AWAY QUIETLY AS HE SLEPT ON TUESDAY MARCH 1st 2022, AT HOME IN PAWHUSKA OKLAHOMA AT THE AGE OF 94.
JIM WAS BORN JANUARY 22, 1928 TO WILLIAM EDWARD AND MARY BELLE (Archambo) SWEEDEN. HE WAS NUMBER 10 OF 13 CHILDREN. HIS MOTHER PASSING AWAY WHILE HE WAS STILL VERY YOUNG.
WITH $10 IN HIS POCKET, A BORROWED CONVERTABLE AND 2 OF HIS SISTERS AS WITNESSES, AT THE AGE OF 17 JIM MARRIED BEVERLY AVON HITE AT AGE 15, ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1945 IN SEDAN KANSAS. TO THEIR (70 yr) MARRIAGE THEY BROUGHT INTO THE FAMILY 2 SONS JAMES (Jimmy) L. SWEEDEN JR AND RANDAL JOE SWEEDEN AND 1 DAUGHTER JOYCE AVON (Sweeden) MUNDY.
MAKING THEIR HOME IN PAWHUSKA, OKLAHOMA JIM HAD A VARIETY OF JOB TITLES OVER THE YEARS. BOND BREAD TRUCK DRIVER, TIRE TRUCK DRIVER, GAS STATION OWNER (twice), SEMI FEED TRUCK DRIVER FOR CARGILE FEEDS. HE WENT TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF PAWHUSKA AS A MECHANIC AND WELDER. MOVING UP IN RANKS TO SHOP MANAGER TO STREET AND SANITATION SUPERVISOR, RETIRING FROM THE CITY AFTER 35 PLUS YEARS OF SERVICE. AFTER RETIREMENT AND HUGE INDULGENCE OF FISHING TIME AT HIS LAKE LOT AND ENJOYING GRANDKIDS HE OPENED UP HIS & HERS JUNK SHOP ON MAIN STREET. HE COULD TELL YOU HOW MANY CARS, TRUCKS, SEMIS WENT THRU TOWN ON A DAILY BASIS. IF JIM WASN'T SETTING OUT FRONT OF HIS SHOP BY 11:30 SOME FOLKS WONDERED IF HE WAS OK. HE ENJOYED HIS VISTORS, FRIENDS, FAMILY THAT STOPPED IN OFTEN AND SWAPPED THEIR STORIES AND THE GOINGS ON OF THE TOWN WITH HIM. HE COULD MOST DEFINITELY SHARE A VERY COLORFUL STORY WITH THE BIG CITY VISITORS THAT STOPPED BY NOW AND THEN. IT WAS A GUARANTEE THEY WOULD NEVER LEAVE WITHOUT AN EARFUL AND A STORY BEING TOLD THAT WOULD BE SHARED FOR A LONGTIME TO COME. AFTER ABOUT 13 OR SO YEARS HE DECIDED TO LOCK THE DOORS AND MOSIE HOME AND SHARE THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS SPENDING TIME WITH HIS WIFE.
JIM IN HIS YOUNGER YEARS AT AGE 9 BEGAN MILKING COWS EVERY MORNING AND EVENING FOR 50 CENTS A DAY. HE ALSO HELPED HIS DAD IN THE OILFIELD WORKING IN THE POWER HOUSES THAT KEPT THE PUMP JACKS GOING UP AND DOWN. HE ALONG WITH HIS OTHER BROTHERS AND SISTERS HELPED WORK IN THE TRUCK GARDEN THEY HAD FOR A FEW YEARS IN THEIR YOUNGER YEARS. HE WAS AN AVID MEMBER OF THE ODD FELLOWS AND THE ELKS LODGE FOR A BIT OF TIME. HE WAS A RODEO ANNOUNCER FOR THE ROUND-UP CLUB AND THE CAVALCADE FOR MANY A YEAR. HE HAD A SPECIAL RING TO THE PHRASE "ON DECK AND IN THE HOLE". JIM BUILT LARGE OPEN FLAME COOKERS AND HELPED COOK SUNDAY MORING BREAKFAST FOR THE CAVALCADERS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. JIM AND Lil BROTHER OJ SWEEDEN WERE A COUPLE OF FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ROUND-UP CLUB CAVALCADE AND PAWHUSKA ROUND-UP CLUB. BOTH OF THEM BEING LIFETIME HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL. BECAUSE OF JIMS HEARING LOSS HE BECAME AN IPAD-AHOLIC AND COULD TEX ON THE PHONE AS GOOD AS ANYONE. HE HAD EVERY NEWS CHANNEL APP, WEATHER APP, SOLITARE CARD GAME IMAGINABLE ON THAT IPAD. HE EVEN HAD FACEBOOK. YOU ALWAYS KNEW WHEN HE WAS FIXING TO SAY SOMETHING PROFOUND OR FUNNY AS COULD BE WHEN HE BEGAN HIS POSTS WITH "ISAY" OR IF HE READ SOMETHING THAT HIT HOME OR WAS SO TRUE, HE WOULD SAY "BETTER BELIEVE IT". HE COULD BE A MAN OF FEW WORDS, BUT, WHEN HE SPOKE YOU KNEW ITWAS TIME TO LISTEN UP. HE NEVER WANTED TO TAKE AWAY FROM ANYTHING OR ANYONE. WHEN SOMETHNG COME UP IT WAS ALWAYS "YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO".
JIM IS SURVIVED BY HIS DAUGHTER JOYCE AND HUSBAND FRANK MUNDY, GRANDAUGHTER MELISSA MUNDY, GRANDSON MIKE TRAMMEL AND WIFE ALISHA OF PAWHUSKA. GRANDSON ZACK SWEEDEN OF THE HOME. GRANDAUGHTER KAYLA SWEPSTON OF SANDSPRINGS. GREAT GRANDCHILDREN HAYLEY AND KAYA SWEEDEN, ADISON CHESHEWALLA AND MOTHER CHEROKEE CHESHEWALLA All OF PAWHUSKA. CIERA GAGE AND HUSBAND STEWERT OF
DEWEY. GREAT GRANDCHILDREN FRANKIE AND JOCELYN MUNDY, MAGGIE PILKINGTON, KELLIE TRAMMEL, LOGAN TRAMMEL AND LESLIE SHIPP, LANDON DICKEY, JONAS GOAD, TAYLOR DICKEY AND DAKOTA. BRAYDEN HUTCHISON. GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN ADDISON TRAMMEL, LUCAS DICKEY, BENTLEY CHESHEWALLA, BRENLYN, BAYLOR GAGE. SISTER MINNIE MARTIN AND HUSBAND MIKE. ALSO COUNTLESS NIECES AND NEPHEWS AND FRIENDS.
JIM WAS PRECEEDED IN DEATH BY HIS WIFE BEVERLY, 2 SONS JIMMY AND RANDY, GRANDCHILDREN FRANK (J.R.) MUNDY, KELLY JO LITTLE, GREAT GRANDSON AUSTIN TRAMMEL. BOTH PARENTS, 11 BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
GRAVESIDE SERVICES WILL BE Friday, March 4, 3:00PM, AT THE PAWHUSKA CITY CEMETERY. PASTOR FRANK MUNDY WILL OFFICIATE. INTERMENT WILL FOLLOW.
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