James Warren Stephens

James Warren Stephens slipped quietly away on Friday, May 16th, 2014. He was born on October 18, 1938, in Emmett, Idaho, to Thomas Guy Stephens and Leila Modjeska (Ayres) Stephens. A sister named Jane was born a couple years later. Jim's father died when he was 2, so his mother asked her brother, Mel, to come help with their 80-acre farm in Emmett. Jim then lost his mother to breast cancer when he was 14, leaving his Uncle Mel to raise Jim and Jane. Later, the children's grandmother moved in to help out. A much-loved aunt, Mary Jane, and her family, lived in Emmett also, so Jim & Jane had cousins to grow up with. Jim graduated from Emmett High School in 1956, and attended BSU for a year and a half, then joined the Army National Guard in Emmett, later switching to the Air Force National Guard in Boise. He was also taking care of the 80-acre farm and working full-time at Ore-Ida in Ontario, Oregon. There, at Ore-Ida, he met a pretty young lady named Donna Jones, in the fall of 1962. They were married December 25, 1962. They lived in an apartment in Fruitland, Idaho, then bought a home in the country about the time children started arriving. David Eugene, Stacy Ann, and Kristy Joy joined the family, and all three graduated from Fruitland High School. In about 1976, he and Donna bought a 20-acre farm in New Plymouth, and built a new house there. Jim loved to raise cattle and drive his Farmall tractors. He also enjoyed fishing and farming. He grew alfalfa hay, corn, and grass for the cattle to graze on and enjoyed growing and tending a large vegetable garden. He milked the cows and also had a menagerie of other animals through the years, including sheep, goats, pigs, geese, chickens, ferrets, dogs and cats. He loved animals and he loved to talk to people. He would start up a conversation with complete strangers anywhere and anytime. Jim worked at Ore-Ida as a Dry Storage Foreman for 43 years, a job he was very proud of. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Leila, and by his grandson, Joshua Christopher Mio. Jim is survived by his wife of 51 years, Donna Renae (Jones) Stephens, a sister, Jane (Stephens) Gothard of Rexburg, Idaho, and three children; David Stephens, and wife Anisha, of Sparks, Nevada; Stacy Blum, and husband, Curtis, of Troy, Idaho; and Kristy Mio, and husband, Chris, of Fruitland, Idaho. Jim also had 10 grandchildren: Andrew, Sarah, Reah, Zachary, Courtney, Abigail, David, Joshua, Ashley, and Devyn. He was very proud of them all. A viewing will be held Thursday, May 22nd, 4-7 pm, at Shaffer-Jensen Chapel in Fruitland. A memorial service of Jim's life will be held Friday, May 23rd, at 1 pm, at the Ontario Church of the Nazarene, 1131 Alameda Drive, Ontario, Oregon.

Service Details.

Visitation

When: Thursday, May 22nd, 2014
Location: Funeral Home
Address:

Service

When: Friday, May 23rd, 2014
Location: Funeral Home
Address: