Mr. James Lee Meriwether

James Lee Meriwether was born to the union of JoAnna (Fitzpatrick) and John Thomas Meriwether, Sr., on April 23, 1930, in Nashville, Tennessee. He departed this life on Monday, September 20, 2021, at the Delmar Gardens North Nursing Home in Black Jack, Missouri at 91 years of age. 

James, or James Lee as he was sometimes called, was preceded in death by his loving parents, JoAnna and John Thomas Meriwether, Sr.; stepmother, Annabelle Meriwether; sister, Sylvia Reen Meriwether; two brothers, Clifford Meriwether and Earnest Lee Meriwether; stepsister, Margaret Faye Moore; and two great-grandchildren, Chyann D. Meriwether and Ernez D. Meriwether.  

The Meriwether family relocated in 1932 from Tennessee to Cotton Plant, Arkansa. James was baptized at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church at an early age and was educated in the Cotton Plant, Arkansas School System.

James, or “Brother” as he was affectionately called by his siblings, married the love of his life, Hazel Mathis, on May 27, 1950, after relocating to St. Louis, Missouri. To this union three sons were born: Ernest Lee Meriwether, Sr., Andrew Lee Meriwether, and Mickie James Meriwether. 

After his marriage to Hazel, they joined Antioch Baptist Church, where they attended Sunday School. James also held various positions within the church. He was an usher, a greeter, serviced the lawn, and drove the church bus. His son, Andrew, also helped him with servicing the church’s lawn and occasionally driving the church bus. 

James, or “Jim” as he was called by his friends and coworkers, was a self-taught truck driver for approximately forty years. After retiring from truck driving, he drove the Oats bus, transporting the elderly. James, being a man who could not sit idle, started a lawn care business, where he had accumulated close to, if not more than, one hundred customers! He was meticulous about his work. James did not only cut the grass, but he also manicured the lawns. In 2016, while manicuring a lawn, he was injured. After recuperating, James continued to cut grass until his wife’s illness worsened requiring 24-hour care. 

James was a hardworking and fun-loving guy. He road motorcycles and was a member of the Power Pipes motorcycle social club for several years. 

James leaves to fondly remember him: wife, Hazel; brother, John “Junior;” his sons, Ernest Sr., Andrew, and Mickie; grandchildren, Ernest Jr. (Katrina), Nichelle, Erron Sr., Lamar (India), Darryl, Aaron (Ashley), Justyn (Jannkie), Ayesha, and Anishaka; seventeen great-grandchildren; nine great-great-grandchildren; three sisters-in-law, Ora Lesper McNeal, Ruth Bostic, and Louise Mathis; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. 

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