VARNEY, W.Va. — Monday, Aug. 2, 2010, our beloved James I. Farley, known affectionately to everyone as "Jim," went home to be with the Lord following a brief illness. He was at home, surrounded by members of his family.
Jim was born May 14, 1938, a son of the late Andy and Winnie Farley and grew up at Varney.
He attended Magnolia High School at Matewan where he graduated with the class of 1957. He was inducted into the U.S. Army and completed basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., in 1961, and served with pride until 1963, when he was honorably discharged. He returned home and pursued a career in the mining industry with Island Creek Coal Company and eventually with Marrowbone Development Company. He was employed at Tug Valley Coal Processing until his retirement in 1998. Jim attended the First Baptist Church at Varney, worked with the Delbarton Volunteer Fire Department, enjoyed farming and raising livestock, and was a member of the United Mine Workers of America.
Jim is survived by his wife of 48 years, Hazel Farley, and two sons, Stephen D. Farley and David (Kim) Farley. Jim has five wonderful grandchildren, Andrew Stephen, James David, Elizabeth Hope, Candice Lashay and Daniel Keith. Jim is also survived by three sisters, Margaret and Janice of Carrollton, Va., and Virginia of Saint Petersburg, Fla., and two brothers, Bob of Carrollton, Va., and Dale of Lake Gaston, N.C.
It is impossible to sum up Jim's life in a few paragraphs; it has been said one measure of a man's greatness is the friends whose company he greatly enjoyed throughout his life; it is only due to space limitations that we cannot list them all, but all should know how greatly appreciated they are and how much their friendship meant to Jim and all of his family.
Services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday, August 5, at the Weaver Mortuary in West Williamson with Rev. Bill Snodgrass officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Memory Garden at Godby.
Active pallbearers include Jim's friends Bill Browning, Paul Blankenship, Bill Duty, Wayne Cooper, Hiram Leroy Justice and Dallas Rife.
Honorary pallbearers are Hiram Justice, Johnnie E. Preece and Wilson Cisco.
The family will receive friends from 6-9 p.m. this evening at the mortuary.
Flowers from well wishers are welcomed, but Jim encouraged us to make everyone aware that Saint Jude Hospital is a very worthy recipient of any memorial gifts in the battle against cancer. Memorial gift information may be found at www.stjude. org or by calling 1-800-822-6344.
Weaver Mortuary of West Williamson is serving the Farley family.
