April 13, 2019

 

 

 

James was born at home in Dickenson, North Dakota to Victor and Mary Grace Goods.  The family moved to the Pacific Northwest in Jim’s very early teens.

 

In 1942, Jim joined the Navy at the age of seventeen. He was part of the Armed Guard, sailors that were stationed on merchant ships that transported supplies, wounded military and prisoners of war during WWII.  He was honorably discharged and worked in a telephone company. A short while later Jim reenlisted and served during the Korean conflict.  After again being honorably discharged, he worked for Western Electric as an installer using crossbar technology. Based in Seattle he was often sent on temporary transfers to other locations, usually in the Pacific Northwest.

 

In the summer of ’56 a niece and nephew came to spend the summer with their Grandma & Grandpa Goods, Jim’s parents, on their small farm that included a cow.  It was situated between the little town of Orting and Kapowsin Lake.  Across the road was another farm just rented to a family with seven children.  Meandering along the edge of that farm was Kapowsin Creek.  Never mind that this was practically glacial water, it had a dandy swimming hole for the hot days of summer.  The new family bought fresh milk from Jim’s parents and also gave permission for their North Dakota grandchildren to swim in the swimming hole.  Jim supervised them when down from his home in Seattle on the weekend.  The oldest daughter, Beatrice, also swam on the weekends.  Soon Bea told her siblings, “No one collects milk from the Goods farm on the weekend but me!”     

 

Carol (the fiancé of Jim’s brother, Gene) called Bea saying, “Someone wants to talk to you”… She put Jim on the phone.  He asked Bea to go to a movie with him and Carol and Gene.  Bea’s Dad asked, “Do you want to?”  Bea said, “Yes.” Dad said, “Okay, but don’t make a habit of it.”  Jim & Bea enjoyed a sixty-one and a half year habit.  They married June 8, 1957. He was 30, she 18.

     

The first three years brought James Eugene, May 1958; Victoria Lynn, May 1959; and Lorraine Susan, September 1960 to the family circle.  Jim & Bea joined the Baptist Church in Puyallup. 

 

The Family moved to Seattle near SeaTac Airport in 1962.  They attended Southgate Assembly of God.  David Harold Goods, born May 14, 1967 completed Jim’s quiver full. 

The Church By the Side of the Road (CBSR) became the next church home. Jim and Bea enjoyed serving together in the Royal Ranger ministry. Driving the Sunday School bus was a delight to him…the kids loved him.  

 

Jim became a ham radio operator, filling a shed with stuff and erecting an enormous tower.  Sometimes we joined friends at the annual Mike & Key Amateur Radio Club swap meet the first weekend in March at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.

 

The last major event for the whole family was in the summer of 1976 hiking across the Grand Canyon; 21 miles – down, across and up. What an adventure!   

 

First came the empty nest and then the Port of Seattle bought our house in 1989. The next two years were spent at Lorrie’s home while getting the Silverdale property ready. We moved into the Silverdale house in September of 1992. We soon started attending Chico Alliance…our new home church.

 

Jim enjoyed the monthly men’s breakfast, breakfast with friends once a week and eating out with friends after church on Sundays.

 

With decreased activity in his golden years Monday Night Football became a favorite. Jim liked to record TV westerns all night and then pick and choose what to watch by day. If a western had cars in it….it just wasn’t a western!  But second to none was The Seattle Mariners. But he never did like tied overtime games, especially at night.

 

More recently he would sit on the porch and watch squirrels, rabbits, birds and rarely raccoons or deer in the yard.  Sometimes he would slide his chair into the sunlight as it moved. We called it “following the sun.”  

 

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Ralph, Robert, Eugene, and sisters Marie and Esther. He is survived by his beloved wife, Beatrice, his youngest brother, William (Bill), 4 children, 12 grandchildren, and many great grandchildren.