After 103 full and blessed years, James Alfred Owen entered his eternal rest with Christ on April 28, 2023. Mr. Owen, known as Al to his many friends, was born on February 7, 1920, in Draper, North Carolina, but lived most of his life in Mississippi.
Al was the fifth of seven children born to Henry Wallace Owen and Maude Demarest Owen. His mother died when he was 8 years old, leaving Al, his father, and six siblings. Several years later, Al’s father married Annie Walker, who became a wonderful stepmother to Al and his four brothers and two sisters.
In 1941, Al enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served for six years. After the war, he returned to North Carolina and joined his father in the hardware business in Hamlet, North Carolina. Then, in 1958, a job as a factory representative for Queen Cutlery Company led Al to Jackson, Mississippi, where he met Libby Hamric. They married in 1961 and were blessed with two children, Allison and Jim. Al and Libby moved to Ackerman, Mississippi, in 1965, where they remained for fifty years and were active members of Ackerman Baptist Church.
When Al retired from the cutlery business in 1986, he and Libby enjoyed many camping trips, including driving to Alaska in a small motor home in the summer of 1993. They also greatly enjoyed riding bicycles, both around Ackerman and on their camping trips. Through the years, Al was a fabulous playmate to his six grandchildren, teaching them to ride bikes, cheering them on at baseball and basketball games, and lining up scores of tiny green army men.
In 2015 Al and Libby moved to the Orchard in Ridgeland, Mississippi, where they were blessed to know many new friends.
Even after Al reached his 100th birthday, everyone who met him expressed astonishment at his age. He always seemed younger than he was, and many people asked to know his secret. He never had an answer to give, but his family sums it up this way: he believed in hard work, he loved people, and he trusted his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in everything.
Al is survived by his devoted wife, Elizabeth Hamric Owen; two children, Allison Owen Miller (Jason), and James Hamric Owen (Michelle); and his grandchildren: Eric Owen Miller, Scott Hamric Miller (Abbey), Thomas McRae Miller, Julia Elizabeth Miller, Lydia Michelle Owen, and James Andrew Owen.
Visitation will be held at Ackerman Baptist Church on Monday, May 1, at 11 a.m., followed by a funeral service at the church at noon, and burial at Enon Cemetery.
Memorials may be given to Ackerman Baptist Church or to French Camp Academy.