James Dean Harper

JAMES DEAN HARPER, BORN ON FEBRUARY 28TH., 2001, WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MONDAY, APRIL 14TH., 2025.  HE WAS THE BELOVED SON OF CHRIS & TANYA WADDELL, A BIG BROTHER TO HIS SIBLINGS, ETHAN, LUCAS, AND BELLA, WHOM THEY ALL LOOKED UP TO.  HE WAS A LOVING HUSBAND TO HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE, GABRIELLE HARPER AND A PROUD DAD TO HIS BABY GIRL ELLIANA.  HE WAS A LOVING GRANDSON TO JIMMY & VANASSA HARPER AND BILLY JR. & KAREN WADDELL AND WAS A GREAT GRANDSON TO BARBARA CONDIA AND THE LATE ROBERT CONDIA.  HE WAS A WONDERFUL SON-IN-LAW TO HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW VERONICA TURNER AND THE LATE FATHER-IN-LAW JAMES TURNER AND A GREAT BROTHER-IN-LAW TO GABRIEL AND JOSIAH TURNER AND A GREAT FRIEND TO HIS BROTHER ETHAN'S SIGNIFICANT OTHER, TRINITY DUNCAN AND HAD 2 UNCLES, 1 AUNT & SEVERAL COUSINS AND A BEST FRIEND, JORDAN CHEEK, WHOM WAS HIS GYM AND GOLFING BUDDY.

JAMES WAS ALWAYS THE SAME ANYTIME YOU SAW HIM.  HE HAD A SMILE THAT COULD LIGHT UP A ROOM.  HE WAS SUCH A KINDHEARTED YOUNG MAN, ALWAYS POLITE AND HUMBLE AND HAD SUCH A MEEKNESS ABOUT HIM.  HE WAS A KIND SWEET SOUL THAT WILL GREATLY BE MISSED.

HIS PRECIOUS AND LOVING MOTHER RECALLED THE NIGHT WHEN HE MET HIS WIFE GABRIELLE.  SHE SAID JAMES LOVED HER AND SAID THAT JAMES TOLD HER IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.  SHE TOLD OF HOW SHE REMEMBERED HIM COMING HOME THAT NIGHT TALKING ABOUT HOW GORGEOUS SHE WAS AND SAID THAT THE LOVE HE HAD FOR HIS PRECIOUS BABY GIRL, ELLIANA, WAS INDESCRIBABLE.  SHE WANTED YOU TO KNOW WHAT A PROUD GIRL DAD HER SON WAS AND OF HOW HE LOVED WATCHING AND PLAYING GOLF AND SAID THAT EVERY CHANCE HE GOT HE WOULD BE ON A GOLF COURSE SOMEWHERE AND OF HOW HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO TEACHING HIS SWEET BABY GIRL THE GAME.  HE LOVED FAMILY COOKOUTS AND TAKING TRIPS. HE WAS THE BEST BIG BROTHER WHOM LOVED THE LORD AND HIS FAMILY.

HIS PRECIOUS LOVING WIFE, GABRIELLE, ALSO SPOKE OF HIS LOVE OF GOLF, AS WELL AS NASCAR RACING, THE DALLAS COWBOYS AND ELVIS PRESLEY.  WHAT SHE WANTED YOU TO KNOW MOST IMPORTANTLY WAS HOW HE WAS ALWAYS VOCAL ABOUT HIS LOVE FOR GOD AND OF HOW HE DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO HIS FAMILY.  SHE ALSO WANTED YOU TO REMEMBER WITH EVERY SUNNY BEAUTIFUL DAY, WITH EVERY COLORFUL SUNSET, WITH EVERY MORNING WHEN THE BIRDS SING, WITH EVERY NIGHT WHEN THE FROGS CALL OUT, WITH EVERY OVERNIGHT THUDERSTORM AND WITH EVERY FAMILY DAY, TO LOOK UP TO THE SKY AND ALWAYS THINK OF JAMES AND OF HOW SPECIAL ALL OF THOSE THINGS MEANT TO HIM AND TO ALWAYS REMEMBER HIS NAME.

TODAY IT IS HARD BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN IN TWO AND WE ASK OURSELVES, HOW DO WE GO ON FROM HERE AND THE ANSWER IS THIS.  WHEN HIS BELOVED ANGEL, ELLIANA, STARTS TO TAKE HER FIRST STEPS AND IS WALKING TOWARDS YOU, SHE IS GOING TO REACH UP FOR A HAND AND SHE IS GOING TO NEED YOU TO PICK HER UP AND WHEN YOU LOOK DOWN YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT SAME GENTLE SMILE, THAT TWINKLE IN THOSE BIG BEAUTIFUL EYES AND YOU'RE GOING TO GRAB HER UP AND HOLD HER IN YOUR ARMS AND YOU'RE GOING TO FEEL THAT SAME FAMILIAR PRESENCE OF HER PRECIOUS DADDY JAMES AND IT'S THEN THAT YOU'RE GOING TO REALIZE THAT OUR DEAR BROTHER JAMES LIVES ON IN THE LIFE OF HIS SWEET BABY DAUGHTER ELLIANA.  THIS IS NOT GOODBYE FRIENDS, BUT THIS IS SEE YOU LATER BECAUSE JAMES HAS MADE IT TO A PLACE THAT WE ARE ALL LONGING TO GO TO AND WE CAN'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.  HOLD ON TO YOUR FAITH, HOLD ON TO GOD SO THAT ONE DAY WHEN WE REACH OUR HEAVENLY HOME, WE WILL SEE THAT SAME BEAUTIFUL SMILE AGAIN WAITING AT THE GATE TO WELCOME US ALL HOME AND OH WHAT A HOMECOMING THAT WILL BE.

MAY YOU FIND COMFORT IN JOHN 14 VERSES 2 & 3 WHICH READS:  IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS:  IF IT WERE NOT SO, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU.  I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU.  AND IF I GO AND PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL COME AGAIN, AND RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF; THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YE MAY BE ALSO.

SPECIAL THANKS TO PASTOR DAMON DAVIS AND PASTOR TERRY YATES.

FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE HELD TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2025 AT FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH, 299 GREY FLATS ROAD, BECKLEY, WV AT 7:00 PM WITH PASTOR DAMON DAVIS AND PASTOR TERRY YATES OFFICIATING. FRIENDS MAY VISIT WITH THE FAMILY FROM 4:00 PM UNTIL SERVICE TIME ON TUESDAY AT THE CHURCH. BURIAL WILL BE HELD AT THE WADDELL FAMILY CEMETERY, BOLT, WV ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2025 AT 10:00 AM. A PROCESSION WILL BE LEAVING FROM ROSE AND QUESENBERRY BECKLEY CHAPEL ON WEDNESDAY AT 9:30 AM.

PALLBEARERS, HIS FATHER CHRIS WADDELL, HIS BROTHERS, ETHAN WADDELL AND LUCAS WADDELL. HIS GRANDFATHER JIMMY HARPER, UNCLES DANNY HARPER AND JIMMY HARPER II. HONORARY PALLBEARER, HIS GRANDFATHER, BILLY WADDELL JR.

GOD BLESS.

PRIVATE ONLINE CONDOLENCES AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE FAMILY VIA OUR GUESTBOOK AT WWW.ROSEANDQUESENBERRY.NET .

ARRANGEMENTS ARE BY ROSE AND QUESENBERRY FUNERAL HOME, 1901 SOUTH KANAWHA STREET, BECKLEY, WV.