James Robert Birdwell, 79, of Mt. Belvieu, Texas, went to be with his Heavenly Father on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, at HCA Houston Healthcare in Pasadena, Texas. Mr. Birdwell was born on July 10, 1943, to the late James Benjamin Birdwell and Pearl Bernadine King in Lenexa, Kansas. He was a retired machinist for Blackhawk Industries. James R Birdwell was Born July 10, 1943, In Lenexa, Kan., Jim was a very independent kid. He always wanted to “do things on his own!” His best friend in the world as a child was his younger brother Don. His Mother said “they were like peanut butter and Jelly! He was very protective of the underdog. Jim was very “mechanically” inclined, there wasn’t much he couldn’t find out how to fix if it was broken. He mastered several trades, land scaping, remodeling construction, working on old cars and of course his favorite was being a “manual machinist.”
Jim was a good provider for his family even in the hard times. Once in the late 1970s when jobs were few, he converted his garage into a small machine shop and took on overflow jobs from other shops to make ends meet. He even had his oldest sons, Ron and David working in the shop afterschool teaching. He believed in the principle of work and expected all his children to do the same. He’d say, “The world owes you nothing that you don’t earn for yourself!”
His hobbies were hunting, fishing, woodworking, genealogy and most of all playing bluegrass music on his banjo. He even taught banjo lessons for a while. He loved a good day on the lake fishing away from all the troubles of the world.
He was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the summer of 1981 He and his wife Beverly were sealed for “time and all eternity” in the Chicago Temple in 1992. He remained a member of the Church the rest of his life.
Mr. Birdwell is preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Donald Gene Birdwell.
Those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 60 years Beverly Birdwell of Mt. Belvieu, TX; sons, Ronald Leon Birdwell and wife Geri of Beaumont, TX, David Allen Bird of Norfolk, NE, James Robert Birdwell Jr., of Kansas City, KS; daughters, Cheri Lynn Birdwell of Belton, MO, Janna Kelly Birdwell of Grand View, MO, Jazmine Faye Birdwell of Topeka, KS; brothers, John Lee Birdwell and wife Cheryl of Apache JCT, AZ, William “Bill” Joseph Birdwell and wife Kathy of Gilbert, AZ; seven grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren, five great great grandchildren, many loving relatives, and a host of friends.
A Service of Remembrance will be held Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, 2 p.m., at Faith & Family Funeral Chapel with Elder Ronald Birdwell officiating. Interment Guedry Cemetery in Batson, Texas. A gathering of family and friends will begin at 11 a.m. until service time.
Honoring Mr. Birdwell as pallbearers are Ronald Birdwell and David Birdwell. Honorary pallbearers are James Birdwell Jr., Christopher James Birdwell, and Malcolm Smitherman.