James Earl Nations was born Jan.13, 1932. He died Jan. 27, 2014, at the Lawrence County Nursing Center in Monticello.

Visitation will be Thursday evening at Jones Funeral Home in McComb from 5 until 8 p.m. and continues Friday from 9 until services at 11 a.m. in the Jones Chapel. Graveside services with Masonic and military honors will follow at the Enon Cemetery in Walthall County.

He was born the oldest of nine siblings in the small little town of Monticello. He was raised up just north of town as a farmer, in those dusty fields along the Pearl River. In the year of 1951 James was called for duty in the United States Army during the Korean War, where he was stationed in Germany with the 82nd Air Born Division of the Co H.172nd Inf. Regt. and on the 25th day of September 1953 received his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army.

On Oct. 17, 1953, he was married to Jamie G. Thornhill in which they have spent 60 years together as husband and wife. Dad was a devoted husband, provider and a father of two sons: James E. ‘Jay” Nations and Kenneth L. Nations.

He was also lifelong member of the Free and Accepted Masons of the Pine Lodge No. 383 in Enon, as a Master Mason. He performed his duties as the Master of the Pine Lodge in the years of 1970,1975,1983,1991,1993,1994 and 1995. He received his 50-year certificate and pin of good standing from The Grand Lodge of Mississippi for the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in the Pine Lodge No. 383.

He was a member of the Union, united brotherhood of boilermakers and later through the years with the Carpenters Union. He worked as a boilermaker and welder, millwright and then studied and went to night school to become an electronics technician and electrician. He was the owner of Nations TV repair Sales and Service. He also worked in the oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico, from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the coastline of Texas. Then in the year of 1994 he retired from Pool Offshore as rig maintenance supervisor.

He had several past times that he loved. He enjoyed playing the guitar and singing country and gospel music. He also played several other string instruments as well. He had a passion for quail hunting. Some of his favorite moments were just being in the field on a crisp fall morning hunting and training his bird dogs, but when spring rolled around and the Dogwoods were blooming, you would find him headed for that old fishing hole or was on the chase of the wild turkey. Of all who knew our father he was an outdoorsman but most of all was a Christian man who was fair and square to his fellow man.

Mr. Nations was preceded in death by his parents, Ervin Nations and Netta Reid Nations; four brothers, Frank Nations, Harold Nations, Ernist “Rabbit” Nations and Bennie Nations; one sister, Lucy Nations; and a sister-in-law, Pat Nations.

Survivors include his wife of 60 years Jamie G. Thornhill Nations; two sons Jay Nations and Kenny Nations and his wife, Kitty; two brothers, Dewitt Nations and Donald Nations and his wife, Sandra; one sister, Betty Short; grandchildren, Toby Nations and his wife, Jessica, Josh Nations, Tasha Nations Bales and husband JR., Cody Nations and his wife, Beth; along with a loving group of 11 great-grandchildren.

To share sympathies and condolences visit www.jonesfamilyfuneralservices.net