Tuesday, June 18, 2019

James Walter (Jim) Scrivener

James Walter (Jim) Scrivener, 64, died June 15 at Merit Health River Region Hospital in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Born February 1, 1955, he was a Maben native and the son of Hubert and Martha Scrivener. Jim was a graduate of Starkville Academy and held an associate’s degree from Wood Junior College and a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University in business and finance. 

Jim photographed his first wedding at the age of 10 and carried the love of photography throughout his entire life. He inherited his family photography business, Scrivener’s Photo Service, which is now called Scrivener and Son Photo, in 1995 from his father. 

Throughout his adult life, he served as a member of the Louisville Lions Club and held several offices including District Governor. He also had a passion for sports, particularly baseball. He held season tickets to the Mississippi State Baseball program for over 50 years and cherished taking his children and grandchildren to ballgames. Jim also umpired high school softball and baseball games along with community college softball games in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges for 15 years. 

Jim was known as Santa Claus to many people. Each Winter, he dressed up in his Santa suit and posed for pictures at schools around the state for his photography business. It gave him great joy to talk to the children and see the excitement in their eyes when they got to “talk to Santa.” When out with his family, he would often have children approach him as Santa and tell them what they wanted for Christmas, which he loved. 

Since 2008, all of his free time was spent being Big Daddy to his seven grandchildren. He loved taking them on trips, teaching them to hunt frogs, painting bird houses, driving them around on his mule, taking them to feed the horses and making sure they knew how to properly critique an umpire’s strike zone. Jim never missed one of the grandchildren’s recitals, pageants, ballgames or Bible drill competitions. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Hubert and Martha, and one brother, Don Scrivener. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Michelle Jenkins Scrivener, of Maben; three children: Clint (Dana) Scrivener of Louisville, Don (Mary Martha) Scrivener of Lufkin, Texas and Jamie Michelle Scrivener of Moorhead; and seven grandchildren: Elizabeth Jane Scrivener, Presley Jane Scrivener, and Rylee Jane Scrivener of Louisville and Rani Emeline Scrivener, Andrew Hubert Scrivener, Jonas Campbell Scrivener, and James Walter Scrivener II of Lufkin, Texas.

From the Family of Jim Scrivener:
The family would like to thank everyone who has called, messaged, prayed for us, or come by to visit with us over the past few days. For those who do not know, my father went into cardiac arrest and passed away Saturday afternoon. Dad wanted a private funeral for family only, so that is what we are doing. We are having a memorial service Wednesday, June 19 at 2 p.m. at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium on the campus of Mississippi State University that we invite all of our and his friends to attend.

If you plan to attend the memorial, please park in the parking lot at the Palmeiro Center and enter through the home plate gate and make your way to Section 107. That is where our season tickets are and is where we will receive guests. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you bring your favorite “Jim story” to share with us.