Mr. James Chaney Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

...He moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen. He was a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders. He was capable of killing a fly on the wheeler's butt with a bull whip without touching the mule. There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke. His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love. This was Slim, the jerkline skinner. His hatchet face was ageless. He might have been thirty-five or fifty. His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought…Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck) This was truly Betty’s husband and our Daddy, the General – the Prince of the Ranch. Mr. James Chaney, oldest son of ten children of Victor and Mary Chaney, was born on April 3, 1947, in Demopolis, Alabama. His family moved to Saginaw, Michigan, during the Great Migration after his father gained employment at General Motors. James would become a high school graduate of Buena Vista High School in 1965 and was a highly commended all-state athlete. After observing a beautiful young lady, he saw at a bus stop in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he eventually married Betty A. Reeder in 1968, in Indianapolis, Indiana, at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church by Rev. H. T. Tolliver. He would later graduate from Western Michigan University in 1969, with a Bachelor of Science degree in social work. He was baptized at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in 1970 by Rev. Dr. J. P. Wilson. He loved God in a special way and demonstrated it in his love and service to others – especially his family. James and Betty loved each other dearly! Through all the ups and the downs, they demonstrated a devotion to each other that was sealed in young business plans, conversations on their Cracker Barrel porch, and the promise of their children. To that union three children were born, Ona Marie Chaney, Asha Rose (Billy Wayne) Perkins, and Marcus Lloyd (Kelley Stewart) Chaney. His additional lifeline and purpose were his grandson, Marcellus Victor Mahone. He took great pride in his family and did everything he could to make sure that they knew they were loved, special, and worthy of success through the ebb and flow of their lives. He stuck by them. He was a no nonsense, consummate professional and was dedicated to the Buena Vista Township and School District communities and worked in Buena Vista for over 40 years. He began as School Community Coordinator in 1969. During the first five years he was involved in the Reading and Literacy program (his love of story and creativity was evident in his home life, as he was an avid original storyteller and Griot, constantly reading to his children and using stories to impart greater spiritual and life principles). Through the Reading and Literacy Program, he was a mentor to many young men on BV’s basketball and baseball teams. He eventually became the Director of Buildings and Grounds and Transportation for BV Schools and in 1995 was awarded the Superintendent’s Award by Dr. T. C. Wallace. James Chaney could fix, build, or resource anything. He would eventually work for the Sodexo Corporation for BV Schools and was sought after to use his professional skills in other parts of the state but chose to retire in 2015. After retirement, he created his own business Olive Branch Classics for his woodworking crafts and had a patent pending for a special woodworking project for students to use to make studying easier. He loved creating wooden fixtures for Mt. Olive Baptist Church (Pastor Marvin T. Smith) and others and took contentment in making things for the Kingdom. He enjoyed quilting, gardening flowers and vegetables, rummage sale shopping, fishing, flower shopping with his wife, spending time with his children whether in Saginaw, Macomb, or Dallas, helping others, 50s – 70s golden oldies music, watching CNN and movies like Oh, Brother Where Art Thou, talking politics and the shame of sagging pants, reading, things flavored with lemon, greens of any kind, sweet potato pie, learning new things about history and space, telling jokes, doing the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing, and keeping in the Good Spirit. He passed away at his home on Friday, July 8, 2022, after living a full 75 years. The pain of his absence is presently unbearable as he was our glue and by God’s grace, he made everything work. However, we do not grieve as we do not have hope. We will see our husband, father, brother, and friend again. He was predeceased by his father Victor Chaney (with whom he shared a very close and special relationship), his mother Mary Thornton Chaney, his younger sister Katherine Chaney, nephew Hubert Alexander, father-in-law Charles Reeder, special mother-in-law J. Anna Reeder, and sister-in-law Paulette Reeder. Leaving to cherish his memory is his loving and devoted wife of 54 years, Betty A. Chaney, daughters whom he both named, Ona Marie and Asha Rose (Billy Wayne), son and closest friend Marcus Lloyd (Kelley Stewart), and special grandson and road buddy, Marcellus V. Mahone. He will also be missed by his family - including sisters and brothers Dorothy (John) Bissainthe, Dannie (Thomas) Chatman, Mary JoAnn Chaney, Victor (Jean) Chaney II, Albert Chaney, Bernice Chaney, Arnisha Chaney, Donald Chaney, and Donna Reeder; nieces and nephews: Jennifer Chatman, Jessica (Erskine) Smith, Alonzo Chaney, Nakai Chaney, Erica Chaney, Tysha (Jeffery) Hardy-Sellers, and Oren Williams; extended family, and friends. Funeral service will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 at Evans & Browne's Funeral Home, 441 N. Jefferson Ave., Saginaw, Michigan 48607. Dr. Marvin T. Smith will officiate. Interment will take place in Buena Vista Township Cemetery, 612 S. Airport Rd. Saginaw, Michigan 48601. Visitation will take place at the funeral home on Monday from 2:00 until 6:00 p.m.

Mr. James Chaney

April 3, 1947 - July 8, 2022