Judson Richard Lively

July 9th, 1929 ~ January 7th, 2008

Judson Richard Lively was born July 09, 1929 in Shelbyville Illinois. He was the youngest son of Judson Cary Lively and Eva Cassamera Davis. His mother died when he was five and he was raised by his older siblings. His father was a farmer and owned a small concrete business. From the time he was five, he loved to draw and spent hours drawing things around him on the farm.
Eva Davis holding Judson 1929		Judson sitting on chair with his brother Robert	Judson Richard 1930	Judson and brother Robert 1930	Unknown date
He accepted Christ early in his life. He attended Shelbyville High School where he played football. He was injured during a game and had to have one of his kidneys repaired. When he finished high school he entered college and became a student pastor. He was also a lifeguard at the local pool and very active in his church.
					Shelbyville High School
Unknown Date		Unknown Date	Age 13, Eighth Grade	Unknown Date	In front of Shelbyville High School
He met his wife Kathryn Ann Fox in High school and they were married December 21, 1947. He and Kate raised five children, Eve Jeane, Judson Bruce, Audrey Jill, Joel Conrad and Jeffery Earl. He was a good and loving father, getting involved in many of his children's activities. He couched little league, took them fishing, read to all them, and gave the opening prayer at most of his son's Joel diving meets. He tried his very best to instill a sense of goodness and Godliness in his children. Where ever they lived, the first order of business was to find a church in which to worship. The family went camping often and he would build waterwheels using his pen knife. He built a tree house in the backyard of the house in Denver that the kids used for hours. He was very good with his hands; always making the house in which they were living better by laying a patio, building a deck or turning the basement into bedrooms.
Narrative written by Judson about the farm he grew up on.			.Drawing of Lively Farm.	Drawing of Lively Farm	Drawing of Lively Farm.
Jud worked tirelessly to provide for his family. He made a living as a tool designer, eventually landing a job at Stearns Rogers in Denver, Rohr Corp. in San Diego, and General Dynamic in Fort Worth where he worked until he retired. He also made extra money by painting signs. He and Kate bought a small ranch house in Weatherford, Texas, in 1980 and have lived there since. He has always been involved in the ministry and was until recently, assistant pastor at Eleventh Avenue Church in Mineral Wells, Texas. He built a study on the side of the garage in Weatherford, filled it with books and used it to work on his sermons and paint. He loved bird-watching, going to air shows, poetry, running and reading his Bible. By the end of his life he had memorized many passages including most of Ephesians. Oh...and he loved Mexican Food. UPDATE: Judson Lively passed away on January 7th, 2008 after a long illness. His obituary read as follows: Judson Richard "Jud" Lively, 78, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away at his home the morning of Monday, Jan. 7, 2008, surrounded by his loving family. Funeral: 2 p.m. Saturday at Eleventh Avenue Church in Mineral Wells. Pastor R.B. Shiflet and Pastor Charles Mays will officiate. Refreshments will be served after the service. Honorary pallbearers will be Jeff Allen, Joshua Lively, Jordan Lively, Chris Harris and Jason Womboltd. He was born July 9, 1929, in Beecher City, Ill., the son of Judson Carey and Eva Davis Lively. He married Kathryn Ann Fox on Dec. 21, 1947, in Shelbyville, Ill., and they had just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Jud is in heaven now, for he trusted in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. "Weeping may endure for a season, but joy cometh in the morning." Jud worked at General Dynamics in Fort Worth as a tool designer for 18 years before his retirement in 1995. It was his great joy to work with Pastor R.B. Shiflet and his friends at Eleventh Avenue Church in Mineral Wells, where he was the assistant pastor for several years. Jud touched many lives with his kind and gracious manner. He had many interests, the result of his boundless curiosity. He loved to paint and draw and take care of his property outside Weatherford, where he had lived since 1985. What he loved the most, however, was studying and teaching others about God's word. He was preceded in death by his five brothers and sisters. Survivors: His wife, Kathryn Ann "Kate" Lively of Weatherford; children, Dr. Eva Jeane Harris of Jonesboro, Ark., Judson Bruce Lively of Weatherford, Audrey Jill Lively of Houston, Joel Conrad Lively of Fort Worth and Jeffrey Lively of Crowley; grandchildren, Christian Harris and Emily and Lauren Kleinshmidt, Joshua Lively, Jason Womboldt, Jordan Lively, Jeff Allen and Stacy Allen Webster; great-grandchildren, Sophie Webster, Christopher and Michael Allen; and numerous nieces and nephews. Published in the Star-Telegram on 1/9/2008.   VIDEO TRIBUTE

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