Jim Black, age 92, of Cherryville died on September 4, 2015, at Peak Resources. Jim was born March 19, 1923 to James and Ava Wise Black. He graduated from Cherryville High School in 1940, and began work at the Carlton Mill in his last 2 years of high school. At Carlton he met the love of his life, Mary Mullen, and they started dating before he was drafted into the Army on his 19^thbirthday on December 21 1943, and were married on Christmas Eve on his first leave home from the Army.

Jim served 4 years in the 7^th Armored Tank Group, in battles and campaigns in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe including the Battle of the Bulge and the 3^rd day of the D-day invasion. He trained in Fort Hood Texas when it was brand new, then travelled to Europe in the Queen Mary- seasick the whole way. Luckily, that trip apparently made him immune to seasickness since he was not sick on the invasion trip over the English Channel to Normandy. He was one of the few not seasick on the Athos II returning across the Atlantic when it was almost completely destroyed in a hurricane and managed to reach the Azore Islands, where they were rescued by the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. Sergeant Black earned the EAME service medal with 4 bronze service stars, the Good Conduct medal, the WWII Victory medal, and the Jubilee of Liberty medal. He was awarded a Silver Star for gallantry in action in Germany in 1944.

Jim returned to Cherryville and the Carlton Mill where he worked for 42 years, ending his career as Traffic Manager. He made wonderful lifelong friends at Carlton and enjoyed the annual Carlton reunions. After retiring from the Carlton, he worked at the Cherryville ABC store for 23 years, where he enjoyed interacting with customers, staff and friends. Jim also ran his own trucking logistics company, representing several trucking firms and arranging freight. He made more cherished friends in the trucking companies and with customers.

Jim led a Boy Scout troop in his younger years, and many of the "boys" in the troop remember those days and Jim with fondness.

Jim loved golf, and was a charter member of Cherryville Country Club. When Ben Rudisill started the golf course, Jim adopted the 7^th hole and picked up rocks and helped prepare it to become part of the course. He golfed every evening after work and on weekends, and would wait to eat dinner until 10pm or later when he was done. Mary put up with this like the saint she was. He won the Club Championship and other tournaments during his golfing career. He also enjoyed playing cards and socializing at the Country Club. After Dan Arthurs bought the course, he made Jim the only honorary lifetime member. Jim really enjoyed all his friends at the Club.

Jim was a fan of baseball, especially Legion ball. He was a batboy for the Carlton Mill team as a child. As an adult he was a longtime member of American Legion Post 100 and loved going to the Legion games and then listening on the radio when he was no longer able to attend.

Jim really enjoyed hosting the New Year Shooters. He started when they came to the Carlton Mill, then when it closed down the Shooters came to his house and shot for him every New Year's Day at 10am. He always looked forward to New Year's just for the shooters!

Jim liked to go on gambling trips to Biloxi and on the boat at the beach, except it wasn't really gambling because he always came home a winner! He was also lucky at football and basketball pools, and there are some people in town who would not bother to enter if they knew Jim was in!

Jim was a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church and the Men's Bible Class, he also served as an Elder. He loved music and listening to the choir and was always the first to start the applause after the anthem.

Most of all Jim loved his family. He and Mary were married just short of 70 years when she died on December 2013. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Jyma & Mike Atwell, the greatest joys of his life- his granddaughters Kellyn Atwell and Heather Carpenter, her husband Brandon Carpenter, sisters Katherine Wiegel, Sue Sneed, Nez Hovis, and Betty Jane Robinson. The family would also like to thank the caring staff and volunteers at Peak Resources & Meals on Wheels.

The family will receive friends at First Presbyterian Church in Cherryille from 10:00 to 11:45 AM on Monday, September 7, 2015. A celebration of life service will follow at 12:00 noon, officiated by Dr. Bill Lowe, followed by a grave-side service at the Cherryville City Cemetery, Black family section. Carpenter's Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church.