James B. Stephen

James "Jim" B. Stephen, 80, passed away on January 8, 2017, at his home in Sonora, Texas. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017 at First Baptist Church with the Revs. Matt Killough and Louis Allen officiating. Burial will follow at Sonora Cemetary. Arrangements are by Love Funeral Home in Sonora, Texas. Jim was born on June 8, 1936, in Olney, Texas, to Mr. and Mrs. G.B. Stephen. He graduated from Kermit High School, Hardin-Simmons University, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He married Betty Bridges on June 7, 1963, in Shelby, North Carolina. Jim served as an Army intelligence officer at the Pentagon, director of the Youth Center in Kermit, Texas, was a Boy Scout executive, pastor of First Baptist Church, Fort Davis, and later served as pastor at First Baptist Church, Sonora. After his retirement as a Baptist minister, he went on to serve as the mayor and then as municipal judge of Sonora, Texas, where he retired from the City of Sonora. As a part of his ministry, Jim served on the Paisano Baptist Encampment Board of Directors for 50 years and spent 25 of those years as executive vice president. He served two separate three-year terms as a guest preacher at Bloys Cowboy Camp meeting, held annually during the first week in August outside of Fort Davis. Jim also was a talented craftsman and gunsmith. He rebuilt a model T and loved to tinker with it! He made muzzle-loading pistols and rifles from scratch and spent 20 years as an ambassador at the Texas Folklife Festival where he held demonstration workshops on how to make a muzzle-loading firearm. He also was a good cook who spent several years cooking for hunters who came to Sonora during deer hunting season. He took a deep interest in the Stephen family genealogy. Jim’s family came to Texas with Stephen F. Austin, one of his ancestors was a Texas Ranger, and the city of Stephenville was named after his relatives who settled in the Erath County community. Jim is preceded in death by both of his parents, and by his sister, Gerry Louann Waddell. Jim is survived by his wife of 53 years, Betty; son, John P. Stephen and daughter-in-law, Bonnie of College Station, Texas; daughter, Rachel Brunclikova, son-in-law, Vladia Brunclik, and grandson, Michal, of Lysa nad Labem, Czech Republic. Memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church, Sonora Texas and Paisano Baptist Encampment, Alpine Texas.