Washington-Benton-Newton County ArArchives Obituaries.....Criner, Jr., James H. June 12, 2007 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/arfiles.html ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Rosa Cline clinefam@ritternet.com August 10, 2009, 8:14 pm Newton County Times, 28 June 2007 James Hobart Criner, Jr., 88, of Limestone died Tuesday, June 12 (2007) at Washington Regional Medical Center at Fayetteville. Funeral was at 2 p.m. Friday, June 15, at Coffman Funeral Home with Dr. Billy Frank Hefley, officiating. Burial was at Mt. Judea Cemetery. Pallbearers were friends and relatives. Honorary pallbearers included David Criner, Greg Criner, Rickey Adams, Russ O'Neal and Dale Lemery. James "Jim" Criner was born Jan. 28, 1919, at Mt. Judea, to James Hobart Criner and Ethel Jones Criner. He grew up in Mt. Judea, but attended high school at Bentonville where he lived with grandparents, Papa and Mama Jones. He and Lida Adkins were married June 5, 1988, at their earth-sheltered home at Mr. Sherman. They later built an energy efficient home at Limestone, near Deer, where they have enjoyed peace and solitude since the home was finished. After the April 2006 diagnosis of last stage emphysema, he and Lida stayed at home and enjoyed one-on-one recovery and many long, meaningful discussions. He said that he had a rich and fulfilling life. Jim served in the U.S. Army, Company I 290th Infantry from 1942 to 1945 and was a radio operator and on the front line. He earned four bronze stars. He earned the B.S. in electrical engineering at the University of Arkansas in 1950 and began work with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) while a student in 1948. He stayed on with USGS and specialized in hydrology in ground water (well testing) for 30 years. He worked in Little Rock, Memphis, Tenn., Washington, D.C., Tallahassee, Fla., Nashville, Tenn. and the Marshall Islands. He retired to Lead Hill, near his brother, L.R. and wife, Maxine Criner. Jim raised Arabian horses while at Lead Hill. During the years with the Survey, he was a member of the Torch Club and the Academy of Science and was a Mason and a member of the Baptist Church. Jim published many journal articles and focused on practical, economic ways to do things at work and at home. His "Firecracker" seismic survey development was especially noteworthy and attracted attention and changed the methods engineers used to locate wells. Jim enjoyed photography, horses, fishing and hunting with his brother, L.R., Bible study, reading, travel, gardening, watching NASA on TV and spending time with nieces and nephews and his extended family, grandchildren, Dustin and Suzannah Baker. He also enjoyed bird-watching, especially hummingbirds and the Ivory-billed woodpecker. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, L.R. Criner. He is survived by his wife, Lida of Limestone; brother, David Criner of Mt. Judea; and sisters, June Brewer of Corpus Christi, Texas, Norma Foster of Wichita, Kan. and Mary Davis of Harrah, Okla. He was grateful for the reunion with cousins and sisters at Fayetteville last summer at Bettie Jones Halsell's home and shared many old family photographs. James Hobart Criner, Jr. loved life in the country and often shared tales of how things were in boyhood days in Mt. Judea. Since 2004, he has enjoyed submitting occasional stories to the Newton County Times in the Limestone column and in letters to the editor. He was thankful that he saw England, France, Ireland and Germany while overseas. Thanks to all who shared his life and work in his long sojourn here. It really was too short, but the oxygen is pure and sweet where he is now. God Bless you, James Hobart Criner, Jr Additional Comments: Photo with obit. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ar/washington/obits/c/crinerjr40gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/arfiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb