James Lovejoy

Funeral services for James Lovejoy were held at 2 p.m. today (Wednesday), June 5, at Oakridge Church in Pattonsburg. Interment was at Oakridge Church Cemetery, Pattonsburg, Arrangements were by Meierhoffer Family Funeral Service. Masonic services were held Tuesday under the auspices of Brookfield Lodge No. 86 A.F. & A.M., Brookfield. Military Services were held at the grave under the auspices of the Bethany and Albany V.F.W. and American Legion Posts.

James Walter Lovejoy, 74, St. Joseph, died Saturday, June 1, 2002 at his home.

Mr. Lovejoy was a graduate of Pattonsburg High School. He attended Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, and received his bachelor of science and master’s from Northeast Missouri State University (now known as Truman State University of Kirksville.) While a student at Kirksville he played in a brass sextet that performed at concerts in that area.

He served in the Korean War as a sergeant.

Mr. Lovejoy began teaching music at LaGrange, where he taught two years. In 1953, he began teaching at Brookfield, and taught five years before returning to Pattonsburg in 1958 to teach band and music until 1964, at which time he devoted his entire time to his expanding business. He was also engaged in farming during his teaching career. In 1958, he opened a mobile home business on property near his farm at Pattonsburg, and he opened a sales lot in St. Joseph in 1979, Lovejoy Home Sales.

Mr. Lovejoy was a 50-year member of Brookfield Masonic Lodge No. 86, A.F. and A.M. of Brookfield, Moila Shrine Temple, and Missouri Manufactured Housing Association.

On Oct. 29, 1950, he married Jean Gaus. She survives of the home.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James C. and Frona P. (McClung) Lovejoy.

Other survivors include three sons, Alan, Larry, and Lance; one sister, Deon Johnson of Dearborn; and four grandchildren.