J. Amelia James

J. Amelia “Amy” MacNeil James, 90, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014, at Wesley Acres, Des Moines, Iowa, where she resided. Funeral services were held on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, at Grace United Methodist Church, Des Moines.  Burial was at Iowa Veterans Cemetery, Van Meter, Iowa.  

Amy was born Dec. 7, 1924, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Hazel (Wicher) and James Taggart MacNeil. She lived in Salt Lake and after high school went to Los Angeles to study at Occidental University. While back in Salt Lake, she met Vincent Lee James, while he was on leave from the Army/Air Force. They married on Aug. 10, 1946, at the First Presbyterian Church in Salt Lake City.

They began their ministerial career serving churches in Illinois. For 15 years, from late the 1950’s to the early 1970’s, Vincent and Amy completed missionary work in San Jose, Costa Rica and Puerto Montt, Angol, and Valdivia, Chile. While there, they helped build churches and homes while also assisting in major earthquake relief, both in Chile and Peru. She assisted in many parishes as the choir director, and was active in the United Methodist Women groups and youth groups. 

Her pastimes included: music, gardening, which included showing flowers at local fair events and winning many awards, and raising her family.

She was a social worker for the State of Iowa until her retirement. She graduated with a Master of Social Work awarded at The University of Iowa, in Iowa City, in 1974. During their ministerial assignments, Vincent served as pastor in numerous churches in Iowa, these churches included:  Sherrill, Ainsworth, Yale, Jamaica, Bagley, Woolstock, Greenbrier, Burt, and Greene, Iowa. After retirement they built a house in Clear Lake, Iowa. Even after retirement, Gods faithful servants made yearly trips to Mexico to build homes with Habitat for Humanity.

Amy was preceded in death by her mother, father and beloved husband of 64 years, Vincent. She is survived by sons, Stephen Evan, of Clear Lake, and Wesley Paul of Atlanta, Ga.; grandson, John Sebastian of Des Moines; great grandchildren, Dajah, Da’Quan, Amaira and Talia James; brother-in-law, Ellsworth, of Johnson Creek, Wis.; sister-in-law, Vera James, of Chicago, Ill., and Helen James of Decorah, Iowa; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Our Good Samaritan Fund at Wesley Acres, 3520 Grand Ave., Des Moines, Iowa, 50312 or the Wesley Acres Hospice Program. 

Arrangements were by Iles Dunn’s Chapel in Des Moines.