James M. (Jim) Snowden

Published 4:00 am Wednesday, November 25, 2015

    Services for James Martin Snowden will be today at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church Collinsville, with the Revs. David Seller, Hal Bates and Wade Ricks officiating. Burial will follow in Collinsville Methodist Church Cemetery. Cockrell Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

    Jim Martin was born at home in Battlefield to Duluth and Sallie Tucker Snowden on April 3, 1920. He was raised in Collinsville. After graduation from Collinsville High School in 1938 he attended Bowling Green Business School in Kentucky. In 1941, just prior to World War II he joined the Army Air Corp. Most of his service was spent in the Panama Canal Zone and on special detail in Peru. He completed his tour of duty at Will Rodgers Field in Oklahoma City where he met Edna Jo Hirril. They married in 1946 in Loveland, Colo. Bringing his bride to live in Collinsville, they operated the store until he felt God’s call to preach the Gospel of Christ. They were baptized in Perkins’ Pond as he surrendered to the ministry in 1950. After graduating from Mississippi College with a bachelor of arts degree in Bible, they accepted their first church, Lake Washington Baptist Church in Glen Alan, where they welcomed Nancy into their lives.

    From Glen Alan they pastored at Morgan Chapel in Sturgis before moving back to the Martin area to pastor Pine Grove Baptist Church. During this pastorate he went to the New Orleans Baptist Theology Seminary.When they left Martin, they pastored Concord Baptist Church for three years in Macon before returning to Collinsville to pastor the First Baptist Church for 18 years. His last pastorate before retiring was Bay Springs Baptist Church in Porterville. He retired in 1986, after 35 years of pastoral service, moving back to the family home in Collinsville. He affiliated with Mission Service Corps as a consultant and was interim pastor at Union Baptist Church in Kemper County as his last church. Over his career he pastored seven churches plus many interim and supply minister opportunities. He enjoyed fishing and golf.

    They celebrated their 56th anniversary before Edna Jo went to be with the Lord in 2002. He married Edith Lindley of Macon in 2005. They were members of Concord Baptist Church. They moved to an assisted living cottage in Priceville, Ala. until he walked into the hands of Jesus on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015.

    He leaves behind his loving daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Gary Langley of Collinsville; siblings, Norman (Sarah) Snowden and Charlotte (LN) Rhodes; grandchildren, Gary L. “Skip “ and James D. “Dusty Langley; great-grandchildren, Alex and Mary “Sassy”.      

    He was preceded in death by his parents; and siblings, Lamar (Chrystine) Snowden, Margaret (Bob) Tough, and Bernice Ruth (Richard) Lea. Honorary pall bearers will be the Senior Adult Men’s Bible Study.

    Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.