A Tribute to James Lawton Gilbert (1919-2011) By Dr. Tom Barnard January 7, 2011 There is a difference between being a child of God in a general sense and being a friend of God in a spiritual sense. One comes through natural birth; the other comes through personal faith. I submit to you that Jim Gilbert was both. He was not only a member of the human race, like all of us, but he was one who from his youth chose to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And he followed Him throughout his entire lifetime. On Tuesday morning of this week Jim left this life to be with his heavenly fathera goal that captured his focus from the beginning of faith until he breathed his last breath. He was 91. Jim Gilbert was born on April 19, 1919 in El Reno, Oklahoma. He died on January 4, 2011. But those dates only tell of the beginning and ending of his life. In between is an impressive story of dedication and loyalty to public service, the businesses he led, his family, his God, and his church. At the time of his birth Jims family resided in El Reno, Oklahoma. His parents James W. Gilbert and Alice Matchett Gilbert had six children. A younger sibling, Dee Gilbert of Newton, Kansas, is the only sibling of Jims immediate family that is still living. He met the love of his life, Eileen Green, in 1936 when her parents moved to El Reno to pastor the Church of the Nazarene the church where Jims parents attended. Eileen and Jim were married on October 20, 1940 and spent 68 happy years as husband and wife prior to Eileens passing on February 28, 2009. Jim spent the majority of his working life 27 years in retail sales in Norman, Elk City, and Altus, Oklahoma, before locating in Bethany, Oklahoma in 1953 to open a C.R. Anthony store here. When his employment with C.R. Anthony Stores ended in 1969, he opened the Western Oaks Health Care Center, where he served as founding director until his retirement in 1983. Less than two years after their marriage in March, 1942 Jim was drafted into the United States Army. He entered Officer Candidate School and graduated with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He was assigned to the 35th Division, 137th Infantry, and remained with that division throughout the war. He was transferred overseas in 1944 and served there until his discharge in November 1945. He participated in 5 of the 6 major battles in the European Theatreincluding the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He was assigned duty as a forward observer for an artillery battery company and received the first of two bronze stars for his courageous work. As a forward observer he was positioned well ahead of the army, where he directed fire for the artillery as they tried to destroy German tanks. Of those in his original battalion, he was the only Combat Arms Officer to survive the war. He served most of the second half of his combat service under General George Patton. When the Peace Treaty was signed in 1945, Jim was situated on the Elbe River in Germany, about 50 miles from Berlin. He returned to the States in October 1945 after serving overseas for 18 months and was honorably discharged in November of that year. His commitment to civic duty is legendary. He was a member of the Bethany Chamber of Commerce for many years, where he served at least one term as its president. In 1956 he received Bethanys Most Useful Citizen Award. He was an active member of the Bethany Kiwanis Club, where in 1958 he served as president and subsequently received the Kiwanis Club International Award for his efforts in expanding Kiwanis Clubs throughout towns and cities in Oklahoma. Jim served on the Board for the Bethany General Hospital and in 1973 served as President of the Board. Jim was also a member of the School Board for the Bethany Public Schools and at one point served as the Board President. Jim believed that commitment to God and the church was a high priority. He served on the Church Board at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene and was Chairman of the Building Committee when the current Sanctuary, Learning Center, and Chapel-in-the-Round were built. He also gave strong personal support to the building of the Atrium at BFC. For 33 years Jim was teacher of the Home Builders Sunday School Class at BFC, which at its peak averaged over 130 in attendance. Jim was very proud of his family and extended family. His four daughters were close to his heart, although at times he found it challenging to get equal time for use of the one bathroom in the home with five females in charge of things! Jim is survived by his four daughters and their husbands: Marilyn Kinnamon and husband Jim; Margaret Farmer and her husband Dennis; Martha Fast and her husband Ben all of Oklahoma City; and Mary Lankford and her husband Tim of Ada, Oklahoma. Jim is also survived by nine grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. A person accumulates untold memories over a lifetime. Jims daughters remember their two-week annual vacations with their parents every summer. They remember a dad who was faithful to God, to his church, to his wife, and to his daughters. They remember a dad who was honest and sincere in everything he did. They remember him as a gentle, loving, and generous dad. Although Jim was never a wealthy man, he was always generous with his possessions. Friends have told the family that Jim was the kindest man they had ever met. Jim will be remembered, and he will be missed. The family wants to thank Full Life Hospice and Mercy Hospital Hospice and their employees for being so professional and loving in their care of Jim during the last few weeks of his life. In lieu of flowers, the family has invited friends to make tax-free donations to Bethany First Church of the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, 6789 N.W. 39th Expressway, Bethany, OK 73008.