James Frazier

James Lester Frazier
November 16, 1934 – July 24, 2012

James Lester Frazier, 77, of Hewitt, passed away Tuesday, July 24, 2012, at his home. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Saturday, July 28, at St. Louis Catholic Church, with Father John Guzaldo as celebrant. Burial with military honors will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in West. Visitation will be from 6 - 7 p.m. Friday, July 27, at OakCrest Funeral Home followed by a Rosary Service at 7 p.m.

James was born November 16, 1934, in Waco to Luther G. and Lois L. (Smart) Frazier. He graduated from Waco Tech High School. He served his country in the U.S. Army from December 1955 to February 1957, stationed at the Osan Air Base with the 508th Antiaircraft Operations Unit. After his service in Korea, he was a reservist until 1965.
James married Elleen Ann Veselka on June 15, 1957 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Bellmead. He was a devoted father to their children, Mark and Laura. In 1957, he started work in the engineering department at General Tire and Rubber Company in Waco, a job he held for 29 years until the plant closed in 1986. He then went to work at Colorite Plastics in Waco, where he retired in 2000. Through his second retirement, he worked recently for Addeco at Allergan.

James was a member of St. Louis Catholic Church. He was active in the Republican Party, and served as a County Precinct Chairman for 28 years. He was Scoutmaster of Troop 20 in Bellmead in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and served as an Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 536 in Lacy Lakeview in the 1970s. He was a religious education teacher in the church for a number of years, and served as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister. His lifelong favorite pastime was gardening. He enjoyed singing, music and photography, and he had a natural ability for sketching.

He was always known for his kind and gentle manner and his thoughtful and selfless ways.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brothers, Marvin J. and Jack E. Frazier.

Survivors include his beloved wife, Elleen; son, Mark and wife Suzanne of Crawford; daughter, Laura Black of Temple; brother, Thomas G. Frazier and wife Elizabeth of Lacy Lakeview; sisters, Mary L. Surfus and husband, Carl, of McGregor, and Pamela S. Saulters and husband, Danny, of Hallsburg; brother-in-law Louie Veselka and wife, Dorothy, of Chalk Bluff; grandchildren, Matthew, Sarah and Emily Frazier and William Black. He also is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Matthew Frazier, William Black,Thomas Frazier, Lawrence Frazier, Dean Surfus and Stephen Nors.

Honorary pallbearers will be Louie Veselka, Carl Surfus, Danny Saulters, George Picha and Army buddy Larry Kanngiesser.

Memorials may be made to Care Net Center of Central Texas, 4700 W. Waco Drive, Waco, TX 76710.