James "J.D." Meadows

J.D. Meadows was born on October 18th, 1928 to Millard and Hester Meadows in Waynesville,
North Carolina. As a child, along with his five siblings, William, Jim, Mattie, Helen and Thelma,
he worked on their family sharecropping farm picking tobacco. In 1944, he and his family moved
to Pennsville, New Jersey and worked with other members of his family at Heinz and Company.
Starting in 1947, J.D. enlisted in the United States Army. He was sent to basic training in Fort
Dicks, New Jersey where he learned the hard way to carry his M1 rifle everywhere with him.
After only 10 weeks of training, J.D. was sent to Ascom City, Korea during the Korean Conflict.
He traveled with five men from his original unit, intending to train to become a radio operator,
but he said, "there were too many dots and dashes, so I opted to work in telecommunications."
J.D. remained in Ascom City until 1949.
In 1950 after his contract was complete with the United States Army, J.D. returned back home to
Pennsville, New Jersey. After two years, J.D. enlisted into the United States Air Force where he
had assignments in Cold Bay, Alaska and Teagu, Korea. He then was transferred to Tinker Air
Force Base, Oklahoma.
One night while visiting a local drive-in he spotted a 20-year-old brown haired, blue eyed beauty.
He went to her and asked to take her on a date, and she responded with, "if you would like to
take me out on a date, you can find me in the phone book." J.D. kept his word and later married
Doris Lee Wilson on February 11th, 1956 at Spiro First Baptist Church, where he started his
forever with her.
Ten months later they welcomed their first son, James Michael Meadows during an assignment
at Ramstein, Germany. They lived with Oma, Opa, and Dorese and they were described as a
wonderful family that J.D. and Doris were very appreciative of. So much, that when J.D. and
Doris visited the local PX they would always bring Dorese and Oma back chocolate, and Opa
back good cigars.
In 1958, Doris and Michael returned to Doris' family home in Poteau, Oklahoma. While J.D.
finished his orders in Germany, Doris gave birth to Andy Wade Meadows. Later, in 1959 J.D. transferred back to Tinker Air Force Base where he performed weather broadcasts for aircrafts and Doris and their two sons joined him there. Within the next year, they welcomed their first daughter, Katherine Meadows
Over the next few years, J.D. was stationed in Labrador, Canada, Barksdale, Louisiana, the
Azores, Kirtland, New Mexico, and Vietnam. While in Vietnam during the war, he was the head
of his unit and hitched rides in various aircrafts to carry top secret messages to the upper
echelon in the military.
After being reassigned to the United States, he and his family moved to Altus Air Force Base,
Oklahoma. Here they welcomed their final child, Doris Elizabeth Meadows who he named without his wife's knowledge. When he explained his choice of name, he stated that he named her after the most beautiful woman he knew. This same year, J.D. retired from the United States Air Force and the family returned to Eastern Oklahoma. He acquired a position as a supervisor at Gould Manufacturing that he held for 19 years. While living in Spiro and Poteau with his family, they made many memories of fishing and working on the farm. They also traveled to many places as a family including returning back to his hometowns of Pennsville, New Jersey and Maggie Valley, North Carolina to visit with his family.
In 1978, J.D. and Doris moved to their home in Greenwood, Arkansas where he lived for the
remainder of his life. Through the years J.D. has enjoyed gardening, watching OU football,
reading Western novels, taking care of his cats and dogs and even a few backyard bottle
calves, and watching the neighborhood birds; but his greatest enjoyment and most prized
possessions were his wife and family. He loved when the family would just come for a quick visit
and sit and talk and share their lives and stories with him. As they prepared to leave, he would
always remind them to "Be Careful."
J.D. is preceded in death by his parents Millard and Hester Meadows, his brothers Jim and
William, sister Thelma, nephew Jeff, and in-laws Lafayette and Beaulah Wilson.
He leaves behind his children, Mike and wife Natalie of Maud, Oklahoma, son Andy of
Greenwood, Arkansas, daughter Kathy and husband James of Greenwood, Arkansas, and
daughter Elizabeth and husband Jason of Alachua, Florida, grandson James Michael of
Norman, Oklahoma, granddaughter Angela of Bentonville, Arkansas, grandson Mason of Maud,
Oklahoma and granddaughter Madison of Kansas City, Missouri, step grandson, Zac of Maud,
Oklahoma, and step granddaughter, Trystin of Kansas City, Missouri, and many great
grandchildren, two sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews.