CONWAY — James Herbert Wiedower, Jr.,

of Conway, peacefully departed this life on Monday, October 4, 2021, at the age of 91. A lifelong resident of Faulkner County, “Junior” as he was known by many friends and his family, was born on April 8, 1930, the second child and eldest son of James H. Wiedower, Sr. and Sibyl Stacks Wiedower and raised on the family farm in Guy, Arkansas. He was the valedictorian of his high school class and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

James and his high school sweetheart, Freda Glover, were married for 60 years, until her death in 2009. Together they loved and raised four sons. Time spent with family was a top priority for James and Freda, and family memories often revolve around the boys’ activities - baseball, swimming, water skiing and Boy Scouts. He was a devoted husband and father and a doting and affectionate grandfather.

James retired from Arkansas Power & Light (now Entergy Arkansas) after a 40-year career as a lineman and serviceman. He was honored by the Arkansas Department of Labor and the National Safety Council, President’s Letter Award, recognizing his record of working his entire career without a lost-time injury. He served several years as President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 646 and was respected by his co-workers as a successful negotiator on behalf of labor. In retirement, James enjoyed spending his time in a variety of activities. He was an active member of Faulkner County Master Gardeners and usually tended an impressive vegetable garden as well as cultivating beautiful flower beds. He also volunteered with a group of men, the Conway Building Project, who built bookcases for students in Faulkner County as a way to encourage reading. Spending time on a lake fishing brought James pleasure, especially when it was time spent with his grandson, Janssen, or his brother, Floyd.

James was a man of faith, and his relationship with the Lord was very important to him. He, Freda, and the boys were early members of Central Baptist Church and he served the church in many capacities over the years. He strove to live his life according to the example set by Jesus and was a kind man, always ready and willing to help others.

James was predeceased by his parents; a younger brother, Billy; his first wife, Freda, and his second wife Carma Lawrence. Although their time together was relatively short, Carma brought happiness and companionship to James and she and her family hold a special place in the Wiedower family. James is survived by his sons and their families, William and Julie Wiedower of Little Rock and their daughters, Elizabeth Wiedower Jackson, of Houston, Texas, and Jennifer Wiedower, also of Little Rock; Dr. James S. and Rebekah Wiedower of Winchester, Va., and their children, John Wiedower of Washington, D.C., Reed Wiedower of Washington D,C,, and Rosalynn Wiedower Bean of Chesapeake, Va.; Dr. Richard Wiedower of Conway, and his children Janssen Wiedower of Conway, and Madison Wiedower Morris of Farmington; and David and Kimberly Wiedower of Conway, and their children, Buddy Williams of Sherwood, and Rachel Williams Caravello of Austin, and great-grandchildren, Julian Jackson, Frances Jackson, Vesper Wiedower, James Cole Wiedower, Riley Hawkins, Cameron Young, Jr., Wyatt Caravello, Bianca Haddox, Jacob Haddox, and Kaylee Sullivan. James is also survived by his sisters, Reba Lawrence and Dorothy Glover; and his brothers and their wives, Floyd (Betty) Wiedower and Ben (Donna) Wiedower. Other survivors include many loving nieces and nephews and extended Wiedower, Stacks and Glover family members.

Family visitation will be held at Roller Mcnutt Funeral Home in Conway on Thursday, October 7, 2021, at 1 p.m. with the funeral to follow at 2:00pm, with Mike Lefler of Central Baptist Church officiating. Burial to follow at Copperas Springs Cemetery in Guy, Ark. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Central Baptist Church.