James Lee Winingham

Obituary For James Lee Winingham

James Lee Winingham, 94, of Bowie, TX, passed away on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

Visitation will be Friday, April 24th, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the White Family Funeral Home in Bowie.

The funeral service will be April 25th, at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Bowie, Texas.

Burial to follow at Elmwood Cemetery, Bowie.

James was born on April 25, 1931, in the Bowie area to Lee McCain Winingham and Frances Lucille Stubbs Winingham. James grew up in a long-standing farming and ranching family that settled in Montague County in the 1860s after the Civil War.

A 1949 graduate of Stoneburg High School, he played basketball and was active in FFA and was a lifetime member. He often recalled growing up through the Depression---living without electricity and listening to the family radio with a spinner. As a young man he helped build the Hopewell Cemetery pavilion in Stoneburg 1946.

James married Barbara Ann Garrett on September 6, 1952, at the First Baptist Church of Bowie. The couple met at First Baptist when Barbara was 15. They remained lifelong members of the church. James enlisted in the National Guard in 1953 and later became a noncommissioned officer attaining the rank of Staff Seargent in the US Army. He served as a communication NCO stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska. Barbara joined him and worked at the local hospital. Donna was born in Fairbanks in 1955. After his military service, they returned to Bowie and built their home on Nelson Street.

James worked tirelessly to provide for his family ---delivering mail from the Bowie Post Office and then rural delivery from the Sunset Post Office. He also was the Manager of the regional Coca Cola Bottling Plant in Bowie. He remained active in the National Guard and served as a volunteer firefighter for the City of Bowie. As a proud Master Mason of the Bowie Masonic Lodge #578, he had received his 65 year pin. After retiring from the Post Office, he raised and sold cattle fulltime up until last year.

His retirement years were also filled with travels to all parts of the world with Barbara, his children and grandchildren. His long life was blessed with the opportunity to welcome great-grandchildren into his world.

His greatest legacy will be all the people he shared his faith with and how Jesus saved his soul and spared his life on several occasions. He believed God had saved him for a purpose and that purpose was to share his faith in Christ with others. He shared with everyone who would listen how God had blessed him over and over.

He is preceded in death by his parents, sister, Frances Faye Myers (husband Tom), Randy Myers (wife Diane), and beloved wife, Barbara Ann Garrett Winingham, who passed away in 3/2025 after 73 years of marriage.

He is survived by their four children, grandchildren & great grandchildren ---

Dr. Donna Winingham and grandchildren: Emma Crawfis and Houston Crawfis.

Marilyn and Kenneth Judy & grandchildren: Christopher Judy (wife Christine) great-grandchildren: Eliana, Micah, Daniel and Isaac; Andrew (wife Catarina) great-grandchildren; Faith and Luke: and Lindsay Judy.

Janet Winingham Monkres & grandchildren: Gabrielle Baird (husband Preston), Alexandra Sakel (Colby White), Josh & Tyler Monkres.

David and Dr. Beth Winingham & grandchildren: Samantha Hall (husband Jake): great-grandchild Caleb and Hance Winingham.

He is also survived by his brother Dan Winingham (wife Elaine) and their children: Susan Pulley(husband Jack), Mark Winingham, & Brad Winingham (wife Jennifer) and Michelle Carson(husband Derrick).

His two 1st cousins Anita Spikes and Maxine Woolsey.

Nieces & nephews Nancy Anthony(husband Bill),and their children: Amy Bonzon (husband Chris), Steven, and Emily (wife Alison Brock), Paul Myers(wife Emery), Jarrod Myers(wife Jamie); Lewis Garrett (wife Natasha) & Lina Bird(husband Jonathan) & Mark Garrett.

Family requests in lieu of flowers that memorial donations be made to the Hopewell Cemetery Association, 1666 Hopewell Road, Bellevue, TX 76228.

Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie, TX.

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