James Arnold Crist

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James (Jim) Arnold Crist, the youngest of two children, was born to Arnold and Margery Crist on November 29, 1946, in Delta, CO. 

 Jim loved his life and family and thrived here on earth. Yet he remained keenly aware that he was only passing through on his way home, with Heaven being his destination. 

 Jim navigated his life here for 77 years. His mansion in Heaven was completed on Sunday, July 21, 2024, while surrounded by his loved ones here, Jim’s master, Jesus Christ, welcomed him to the shores of his eternal home. Heaven celebrated and angels rejoiced upon his arrival. 

 A viewing for friends and family is scheduled on July 30th from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. Jim’s Celebration of Life will be held at the First Christian Church in Holyoke, CO, on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at 2:00 PM. Interment will follow at the Fairfield Cemetery. 

 Jim truly was a “Jack of all Trades” and he mastered many. He grew up in Delta, CO and upon graduating from Delta High School in 1965 and following a farm accident that claimed four fingers on his right hand, Jim moved to Denver and obtained his degree in auto mechanics from M.A.T.T.S. School of Automotive. His excellence in automotive repair was noted. Upon the retirement of his training instructor, Jim was hired to fill his place at M.A.T.T.S. and was later retained by Denver Institute of Technology. 

 Jim was the youth leader at the Assembly of God church he attended in Denver. It was there that he met Sharon at the tender age of hormones in tennis shoes. He teased, with her and others, that he waited for her to grow older. They were married on April 26,1974. He was 26 and she was 17. Some doubted the success of the marriage due to the gap in age. In proving them wrong they remodeled 4 houses together and their love still prevailed as evidenced by their 50th anniversary, this year. 

 Jim enjoyed small-town life, so it was no surprise that God’s calling to ministry was to serve churches located in small towns. He obtained his ministerial degree from Berean School of the Bible. He was ordained with the Assemblies of God and licensed with the Berean Ministries. Jim pastored in Stoneham, Rocky Ford, Olathe, Holyoke, Haxtun, and finished his 40+ years of ministry in Fairfield, all small Colorado towns. Many times it was necessary for Jim to work in addition to pastoring. In this, his ability to do many things served him well in providing for his family. Although he was very capable in the automotive field, he was an excellent farm hand. He served well as Deputy Assessor of Delta County. He was even tempered, organized, and intelligent, which made him a good candidate to fill the position of ERM supervisor at Seaboard, which he did for many years. 

 He loved 4-wheeling on mountain trails, camping, fishing, remodeling/carpentry, working on older vehicles, gardening, and yard work. He enjoyed having fun with his family and wouldn’t you know it…having fun translated to happy memories!

 The last several years were stormy years. Jim’s health declined to an unmerciful level. Determined to navigate his storm in a Christ-like manner, Jim suffered well. He was steadfast and determined to remain kind and gentle to the very end. He was a living example of 1 Corinthians 13. Even while his life was draining from his body, he prayed and interceded for others. Jim loved others unconditionally, and others sensed this. It was that unconditional love that brought another soul to Christ, even after he drew his last breath. They will now spend eternity together in Heaven. 

 Jim is survived by his wife, Sharon Crist, son DJ (Rachel) Crist, daughter Tricia (Jeff) Michael, grandchildren, Ryan Crist, Braden Crist, Gavin Crist, Kaylee (Nick) Duvall, Kyla (Christian) Edwards, Aaron Michael, and great-grand-daughters Evalynne and Amelia Duvall, sister Jeannie (Leonard) Shaw, and numerous nephews and nieces.

 He was preceded in death by his father Arnold Woodrow Crist and mother Margery Lucille Waren Crist Wilson. 

 If you have a special memory that you would like to share with the Crist family, please do. Jot it down and bring it with you to the viewing or Celebration of Life. There will be a memory box present at both locations, to collect these special memories. The family will be comforted by your thoughts, as they review the contents of the memory box together, at a later time. 

 In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to James Crist family at P.O. Box 262 Haxtun, CO 80731.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.