James Franklin Payne

James Franklin Payne was born in January of 1933 in Dover, Arkansas and He was preceded in death by his father, William D. Payne, and his mother, Ethel Eleanor Stanley. Jim grew up surrounded by family, love, and laughter alongside his sisters Nina (Tom) Ghent, Olene (John) Ferrari, and June (Troy) Mullins, and his brother Dee (Ann) Payne.

On June 23, 1951, he married the love of his life, Iva Clariece Hendrix, in Yell, Arkansas. Together they built a home that overflowed with warmth and faith, raising four children: Laurell (Gabriel) Newton, James C. Payne, Kevin Payne, and Kim (Mack) Burke, as well as a nephew who became like a son, David Britton.

Jim’s pride only grew as his family did. He cherished every one of his 12 grandchildren: Danielle, Gabe Jr., Kendall, Kristoff, Kayleigh, Caleb, Lauren, Zack, Ryan, MacKayla, Macksimus, and Mackimlee, and his 26 great-grandchildren, whose hilarity and joy filled his later years. He never missed a chance to brag on them, to tell anyone who’d listen how proud he was of his family. He often said he thanked God every single day for blessing him with YOU. If you were his kin, you never had to wonder if you were loved, because he reminded you endlessly. If through blessing you with his prayers, or offering you another glass of tea and a cookie. 

When you count them all, the children, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren, you reach over forty lives that simply would not exist without him. Forty people walking this earth because of the love he started, the home he built, and the faith he passed down. And that’s only the beginning of his legacy. Because Jim’s impact didn’t end with his family tree, it spread through every mission trip, every church he helped raise from the dust, every song he sang, and every heart he led closer to Christ. There are countless souls who found hope, healing, and faith because he cared enough to go, to give, and to serve.

Jim graduated from Central Bible College in 1958, answering a call to both craftsmanship and ministry. After moving to California for nine years, where he laid flooring and raised his young family, he returned home to Fort Smith, Arkansas. There, he continued his trade in carpet and flooring, but his heart was always on the mission field.

He often said that if he’d been to Mexico once, he’d been a hundred times, each trip spent building orphanages and churches with his own two hands. His faith carried him far beyond state lines: to Africa, Bangladesh, Argentina, Venezuela, Belize, and Colombia. Wherever he went, he left behind something built, something sung, and something loved.

A man of music and ministry, Jim served faithfully as a Gideon and sang for years with the Disciples Quartet. He even used his knack for design to remodel their tour buses, his creativity and devotion woven into every detail. He was an upholsterer by trade and by heart, bringing new life to the old and worn. From car seats to furniture to handmade purses, he could transform anything with skill, patience, and joy. 

Jim and Iva made their spiritual home at Calvary Assembly of God Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas. That’s where his celebration of life will be held, a fitting place for a man who lived his faith so fully and loved so deeply.

Memorial services will take place at 11:00 am Sat Nov 1st at Calvary Assembly of God  1700 Jackson St, Fort Smith, AR. & the visitation will be from 5-7 Friday Oct 31st at Lewis Funeral Home 

4817 Kelley Hwy, Fort Smith, AR. Burial at Steep Hill Cemetery, Steep Hill Rd, Fort Smith, AR 72916

Jim’s life was a song of gratitude, every verse filled with faith, family, and hard work. He thanked God for his blessings daily, but to those who knew him, he was the blessing; steady, joyful, and endlessly proud of the family he built and the love he gave.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James Franklin Payne, please visit our floral store.