James Henry Elias

James Henry Elias, 85, of New Haven, West Virginia passed away peacefully at 3:37 p.m. Friday, March 22, 2024 in the Arbors of Pomeroy after an extended illness. Born on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1938, in Letart, West Virginia he was the son of the late Raleigh Henry and Eva Marie Roush Elias. James was retired after thirty years of service as a licensed agent for the Western & Southern Life Insurance Company. He was a life- long member of the St. Mark Lutheran Church in New Haven, having served on the church council for several years. Jim was a king and loving father, grandfather, husband and friend. He loved spending time with his loved ones and working with his horses on the farm. He was well known for raising and training American Quarter Horses for barrel racing for over 60 years. Jim was a member of the Democratic Executive Committee for 23 years and served as a councilman and police commissioner for the Town of New Haven for over two decades. He was a member of the American Quarter Horse Association for 25 years, founding director of the West Virginia Quarter Horse Association and served on the Board of Directors for 10 years, member and past president of the Riverview Saddle Club, member of the Ohio Valley Horse Show Association, former member of the Kanawha Valley Horse Show Association, member of the Shawnee Trail Ride Club, member of the National Rifle Association for 25 years, member of the Broad Run Gun Club, Point Pleasant Gun Club,  Amateur Trap Shooting  Association, Ruger Collectors Association, former member of the Mason Volunteer Fire Department, Wahama Athletic Boosters and the former MACE Association. Seven of Jim's quarter horses went to be awarded reserve or high point world champions. Jim was an approved judge for quarter horse shows in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio and received the first all around championship award in the Ohio Valley Quarter Horse Association.

Left behind to cherish his memory is his loving wife, Janet Kaye Cooper Elias, his sons, James Daniel "Danny" (Pamela) Elias, David Henry (Mary) Elias and Robert Wayne "Bob" (Shelia) Elias, all of Letart, West Virginia, his daughter, Mary Ann (Mark) Hager, of Mason, West Virginia, step-son, Mark Compson, of Racine, Ohio, his grandchildren, Ashley (Nic) Nottingham, Tara (Sean) Suchevits, Jessica (Eddie) Campbell, Lindsey (Jason) Henry, Josh (Lauren) Elias, Phillip Allen, Lydia (Devin) Walker and Alisha (Sandy) Compson, his great-grandchildren, Hannah (Colten) Rayburn, Nicole, James and Jackson Nottingham, Eli and Dax Suchevits, Vivian Campbell, Lian and Naomi Henry, Alaina and Barrett Walker, Emersyn and Oaklynn Compson. Also surviving his the mother of his children, Sarah Elias, of Letart, West Virginia and sisters-in-law, Alexandra Elias, of The Villages, Florida and Irene Murphy, of Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

In addition to his parents, James was preceded in death by his step-son, Timothy Compson, his brothers, Larry Donald Elias and Joseph Franklin Elias, aunts, Kathleen Overholt, Emmogene Crow, Belva Farley, Clara Burris and Maxine Grimm and an uncle, Emmett Elias.

Funeral services will be 11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 30, 2024 in the St. Paul Lutheran Church, 412 Fifth Street, New Haven, West Virginia. Officiating will be Pastor Patrice Weirick. A dinner will follow the service at the church. The Elias family will conduct a private family interment in the Kirkland Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made in James' memory to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN  38105-9959

The Cremeens-King Funeral Home, Pomeroy, is honored to serve the Elias family.

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