James Elmer Fish – Bedford
July 14, 1924 – December 14, 2018
James Elmer Fish, 94, of Bedford, passed away on Friday, December 14, 2018, at Garden Villa, Bedford.
Born July 14, 1924, he was the son of Elmer and Anna Maude (Fry) Fish.
He married Delores “Dee” (Johnson) Fish on December 3, 1948, and she preceded him in death on November 9, 2003.
“I had wonderful parents: Elmer Fish and Anna Maude (Fry) Fish; one wonderful brother, Harry Inman; and two great sisters, Catherine and Mildred. Mildred would tell the story that she received a tricycle and it fit me, you see I had long legs, so my daddy, Elmer, had to go buy another one for the birthday girl.”
My family includes my brothers and sisters, Harry Inman, wife Mary Jo, Marylin, Beverly, and Eddy; Catherine and Roy; Tommy, Connie and Joanna and Jason; Roger and Linda, Brandon and family, Joanna and family; Mildred and Warren, Teddy, John and Linda, Billy and Matina, Gary and Kathy and family; daddy-in-laws, Bud, Pete, Judy, Brenda, Kay, Ed, Pat, Dorothy, Deb, Russ, and Gib.
Daughter, Kathy Lynn (Fish) Hackney and husband Bill; grandchildren, William (Billy) Hackney in heaven with daddy; Beverly Freitag, taking care of Katirena, his great-granddaughter; Kristy Hackney Carmichael with husband Dennis, live in Belize.
Some of the things I was grateful for: my God was number one, family, friends, and farm.
The last time I drove was to Kathy’s for Christmas in 2013. This year I went to the Hobson’s for family Thanksgiving with my favorite girl, Ann Smith. I took almost all the kids snipe hunting. Gary drove the tractor for the first time by himself. Tommy would not go home until he saw the moon. Kathy and Roger took a ride down the stairs at the White House on a baby mattress. I love those boys. Billy would go to the creek and come back looking like he had been rolling in mud and Eddy would not have a drop on him. Marilyn died and we scattered her ashes by the house. Beverly Inman looked like she came out of a bandbox. I love my girls.
I remember when Billy Hackney wanted to go to Parkview and Kathy moved to the farm. I was in real estate and I took Billy to Bedford Junior High School and Kathy did not tell Bill until the national anthem was playing that she moved Billy. Beverly was a Star Stepper and Kris wrote us notes how much she loves us, and Bev was always on the go. I love my girls. Then I receive a great-granddaughter, my Katirena, smart like me (ha-ha), how I loved to hear her play.”-James E. Fish
“What I remember about my dad, he went to Texas and I notice a skunk was in one of his traps in the barn, I called him in Texas, and he said just open the door and let the skunk out. I did, had to prop a board up, a skunk walked out, I called him, and his reply, and you didn’t shoot it first.” -Kathy L. Hackney
Graveside service will be at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 21, 2018, at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, with Pastor Jeff Hudelson officiating. Burial will follow. Friends and family are invited to a meal that will be at the Mt. Pleasant Christian Church immediately following the graveside service.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Ferguson-Lee Chapel of Thorne-George Family Funeral Homes.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.fergusonlee.com.
