Legacy: James Albert Decker (3)

Legacy

Jim was baptized as an Episcopal, a Catholic, and by immersion at the C&MA camp (Delta Lake) near Rome, NY.  He joked often that he was covered by every known mode of baptism.

Jim liked to call Paul’s wife, Dondra, his daughter-in-love.

Jim loved his grandchildren: James Josiah, Grace Margaret, Elizabeth Anna, and Joel Paul Decker.  His first great grandson also earned a special place in his heart: Eric Xavier Decker.

Jim kept the tradition going when Natalie married JJ, and called her his granddaughter-in-love.  He had yet to say the same thing about Grace’s future husband, Joe, but he surely would have called him his grandson-in-love.

Jim was a prayer warrior – plain and simple.  He did not like missing prayer meetings of any kind.

One of Paul’s fondest memories of home life is when Jim came home from work, he would head straight to the kitchen to kiss his wife.

Jim often joked he qualified for heaven because he had visited the C&MA camp in western Pennsylvania (Mahaffey) because it was "a little bit of heaven on earth."

When asked what legacy he would like to leave, he wrote the following:

·         He cared.

·         He loved.

·         He knew grace.

·         He taught.

·         He glorified God.

·         He made amends.

·         He forgave and forgot.