James Lowell Medlock's Obituary
James Lowell Medlock, 88, of Sherwood, Arkansas, died Tuesday, April 29, 2025, from complication of diabetes. He was born in Okeechobee, Florida to the late Cleo Isaac Medlock and the late Edna Mae (Denim) Medlock on November 15, 1936. The family moved back to Pocahontas, Arkansas after only a few months, where his parents worked as sharecroppers in Biggers and Reyno, Arkansas. Jim began working in the fields at 10 years old. Although his father worked him hard, he instilled a work ethic in Jim that took a backseat to no man. His father, always looking for the best way to provide for his family, he moved them to St. Louis for 14 months in 1951-1953; where Jim stood within feet of Joe DiMaggio, George Kell (Swifton, Arkansas), and Yogi Berra.
Returning to Biggers-Reyno in 1953, the family worked harder still. Jim was a star basketball and baseball player and graduated as a Biggers Buffalo in 1955. Somewhere between 1954 and 1955, Jim met Mary Waddell of the Metropolis of Maynard, Arkansas. She always said that the first time she saw him, “she could not stand him!,” which is always a good sign for any man. They married in 1956 and had their first child, James Greggory, on December 17, 1957, and moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1958. They were both fiercely loving parents and took great pride in every move he made. Well maybe not everyone of them. Jim took tremendous pride in coaching Gregg’s little league baseball teams, one being the Elk’s Club, who won the city championship in 1970. It included local kids, James Moore, George Niblock, and Morris Lawson.
Jim began a decades long stint at Campbell Soup Company in 1958. Jim and Mary welcomed their second son, Timmy Cleo, in 1966. They watched him become a devout Mormon and into a person whose steadfast loyalty to his father in Jim’s last years, which was nothing short of saintly. Coming along in 1974, Tracey Allen was a happy, super energetic child who was loved by anyone he came in contact with. Jim and Mary spent many a night debating what went wrong if he lost a T-ball, little league, or high school basketball game. Tracey was named All-State in 1992 at Springdale High School and was inducted into Springdale’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2015, along with Gene George, David Culp, and Craig Foringer among others. Whether screaming maniacally from the stands, critiquing his performance, or criticizing the coach, Jim never missed a second of his career. Now, both Tracey and his wife, DeAnna, are decades-long teachers, (DeAnna as Assistant Principal) who strive to make life better for the students, some disadvantaged, in the Fayetteville School District.
Jim was predeceased by his wife, Mary Waddell Medlock; both of his parents, siblings, Carl, and Shirley, both of Missouri, JoAnn of Pocahontas, niece, Carol Bess; nephews, Bobbie Jean Bess, and Jackie Lee Bess, all of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He is survived by all of his sons and Tracey’s wife, DeAnna son, Matt Hawkins, and wife Kait, and grandson, Allen Hawkins, and in laws, Phyllis Waddell, Quin Waddell, Darrin Waddell, Jeff Waddell, Nicole Waddell Pena, Jared Pena, and Jennica and Gavin Pena.
Rest in peace Jim “Bomber” Medlock and find a flat screen to watch your beloved Dodgers repeat and your adored Texas Longhorns. They will be tough this year and if God asks you to perform a task, we are sure you will tell him it will have to wait til the game is over!
Jim’s viewing will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday, May 2, 2025, at Nelson-Berna Funeral Home, 4520 N. Crossover Road, Fayetteville. The funeral service will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Fayetteville with burial to follow at Oakland Cemetery, Old Wire Road, Fayetteville. To leave a tribute, please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com. Arrangements are by Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Fayetteville.
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