Mr. James Milton Adamson

James Milton Adamson, age 72, of Brooksville, FL passed away on February 19, 2014 under the care of HPH Hospice Care Center, Brooksville, FL. He was the husband of the late Dixie Adamson who preceded him on July 31, 2005. Jim was born at the St. Francis Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado February 8, 1942 a son of the late Lowell G. and Frances Faye (Champlin) Adamson. Jim will be missed by his son: James Lamar of Tulsa, OK sister: Kathryn Jane Fann of Baxter, TN and brother: Steven Jack Adamson of Colorado Springs, CO as well as nieces, nephews and many friends. Jim gave his life to Christ as a young man during a Pilgrim Holiness camp meeting in Colorado Springs, CO and then was called into the ministry during his college years. After graduation from Bartlesville Wesleyan College in Bartlesville, OK (now Oklahoma Wesleyan University) Jim, with his wife Dixie moved to Portland, OR to attend Western Theological Seminary. Jim and Dixie Adamson became pastors of Rosewood Wesleyan Church in the fall of 1973, and for the next eight years their ministry helped us to become stronger, more dedicated Christians. I remember the first sermon Jim preached—David and Goliath—a sermon that encouraged us to trust God for our every need. He was not a fiery, in-your-face preacher. He was a teacher. He taught us the Word, patiently and systematically, and from his teaching we learned the value of loving God, our families, and each other. We were truly a family at Rosewood, and Jim and Dixie were our spiritual parents. They prayed with us, counseled us, taught and played with our children, and gave us a reason to want to attend church. We had wonderful fellowship with them and them with us. Parties, picnics, retreats that involved the entire congregation were planned and carried out—such enjoyable and loving times. Then there were the times that were not so wonderful—the illnesses, the deaths, accidents and, of course, the floods. We were loved, visited, prayed for, and told that the flood waters might destroy our material possessions, but it could never destroy our most precious possession—our relationship with God. Jim and Dixie Adamson were more than just our pastors. They were an integral part of our families and our lives. They were our counselors, our encouragers, a shoulder to cry on, but most of all they were our friends. Pastor Jim, as he was called, will be sorely missed, but praise God we have the hope and the expectation of seeing him and Dixie again. After leaving Oklahoma, Jim & Dixie moved to Missouri pastoring the St. Peter's Wesleyan Church. Jim endeared himself to his congregation while pastoring there, many of whom have expressed their love and appreciation for him upon learning of his death. After leaving MO, Jim resided in TN a short time before moving to FL Growing up Jim always loved to read books, write silly poetry & compose music to go along with it. This carried over into him writing songs to sing at the church to raise money to pay for choir robes. He also developed a love for baseball from throwing snowballs at unsuspecting friends & siblings. Jim was also very curious about untried things. His wonder of what would happen got him into much trouble. One example of this was him riding his bicycle down a hill with his arms out to balance himself with his eyes closed. He found this out within a minute when he ended up on the hood of a parked car. (God was watching out for him on that one.) Another time he & a friend borrowed the dad's Jeep & took it 80 miles into the high mountain, found a lake & decided to see how far they could drive into the lake. After the Jeep flooded out & filled with water, they had to swim to shore, walk several miles to a house with a phone, and call a wrecker & face the other boy's father when they finally made it home. Jim was always afraid of water but his dad decided he was going to learn to swim regardless. As a result, he joined the YMCA swim team & placed 3rd in the Modified Butterfly Breast Stroke in the State Swim Meet. Jim also worked as an Orderly at the Retirement Home for Printers for 2 years. He made a lot of friends & learned what hard work was. Jim & Dixie loved to visit us in the summer where we would go on trips to the south. Jim & Kathryn would sit in the back seat & eat candy that Kathryn had snuck in. Dixie would get after Jim about not eating the candy because it was not healthy for him. It made it even more fun to do it. Jim was also preceded in death by his brother: David Roger Adamson who died in 2013. A gathering will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2014 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the Turner Funeral Home, 504 E. Jefferson Street, Brooksville, FL. Prior to interment a Graveside service will be held at the Fredonia City Cemetery, Fredonia KS. Jim moved to Brooksville, FL in the late summer of 2012 and purchased a Life Lease in Wesleyan Village enjoying his final years of retirement from the ministry and his school bus driving for special needs children. Jim had a unique sense of humor and made many friends while attending village and church activities during his all too brief retirement time here in FL. He enjoyed the Village Coffee Shop and became an avid pool player in the Community Center game room, therefore in his memory; the family is asking that donations to the Wesleyan Village (WBCA) be made in lieu of flowers so the center may purchase a new pool table in Jim's honor.