James Wesley Harp

After a month long battle with Covid19, James Wesley Harp, of Paragould, passed away September 8, 2020 at St. Bernard's Medical Center.

He was born August 15, 1941 to Allison Harp and Floreine Spotts Harp at the home of the maternal grandparents J.W. "Wes" and Jewel Stedman Spotts. He lived there until his mother married Dennis E. "Cowboy" Guthrie and they moved to Jessup.

James Wesley - the J.W. being a Spotts family tradition - attended all twelve years of school and graduated from Strawberry High School.

James Wesley followed in his granddad's footsteps and often by his side, in the trading of hogs, cattle and once even some sheep. He always bragged that he paid for his first car with hog money.

After a short stint at Johnny Sains Auto Parts, he signed up with a telephone construction crew, D.O. Creasman out of Ashville, North Carolina, putting in the phone lines there in Jessup etc. and begin his travels. He worked many states, especially in the South. He also involved many local men, Dan Matthews, Mike, Denny, Jimmy and Terry Durham to become part of the telephone world.

However, when James decided to pick a wife, he came back home and married Mary Agnes Miller. They were engaged in October 1965 and married June 19, 1966. After returning from their honeymoon, they discovered June 19th was also Wes and Jewel's anniversary. James and Mary have shared fifty four years together and have a daughter, Denice Anne Harp West.

After several years of travel, James and Mary settled in Greene County, in the Oak Grove Community. He worked for Klassmeyer for thirty years and continued to travel all over the U.S.A. So he put Mary in charge of the "farm" and he indulged in his love of Brahma Cattle, raising a crossbred and registered Brahma herd. His "roundhead" Gyr cattle became his pride and joy.

After thirty-two years with Klassmeyer construction, James returned to raise cattle and enjoy life- especially his card playing buddies.

James Wesley made the decision, at sixteen, early in life to follow the Lord and his teachings. He was baptized in a creek and became a member of Smithville Baptist Church until he moved his membership to Oak Grove Heights Baptist. While not actively involved, he always tried to be who God would have him to be. He was a devoted and faithful husband, a loving, caring father who loved his family and many friends.

James is survived by his wife, Mary Harp; daughter, Denice West of Nashville; lots of friends and family, especially the Gene Spotts families of Conway.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dennis E. and Floreine Guthrie; biological father, Allison Harp; his grandparents, J.W. "Wes" and Jewel Spotts; Aunt Geraldine Spotts Crump Lubbock, Texas and Nadine Spotts Guthrie of Black Rock; Uncle Gene Spotts of Conway; and lifelong best friend Joe Frank Patterson of Cave City.

Visitation will be held Friday from 2:00-3:00 pm at Heath Funeral Home. The service will begin at 3:00 pm with David Stallings officiating. Burial will follow at Greene County Memorial Gardens.

In order to comply with CDC guidelines, face masks are required inside the building and friends are asked to practice social distancing.