Dr. James Lee Sells

James Lee Sells (8/21/1929-11/25/2007) A Vision of Something Better, Lets Build it Together James Lee Sells, age 79, of Bolivar, Missouri passed away on Sunday, November 25, 2007 at Citizen's Memorial Hospital in Bolivar, Missouri James Lee Sells was born in Sesser IL on 8/21/1928, the son of Ben and Erma Sells. To the common eye, he was another mouth to feed for a poor young family just getting started. But God saw a vision of something better and decided Jim and he would build it together. Soon, Mary Lou, his younger sister, and then Sam his younger brother were added to the family. Jim graduated from East St. Louis High School in 1946. In East St. Louis, Jim would also find his life long love in Joyce Wayne, whom he married on June 2, 1950. Gods plan for Jim included his undergraduate education where he played collegiate basketball and developed a love for coaching. Not height, but head and heart combined with a deadly accurate two-handed chest jump shot allowed Jim to successfully contribute to his collegiate basketball team. He received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree from Southern Illinois University. Jim and Joyce looked at their family and had a vision of something better, so together they began to build it, first with the birth of Jan, then Scott, Ben and finally Jane. While his family was expanding, so was his career. Jim completed a Doctorate of Education degree at Columbia University in New York City. While there, he and Joyce looked at the citys church situation and visualized something better. Together with several other families, they established the first Southern Baptist church in New York City. In 1958, the family moved to Davis, California where Jim was head basketball coach and associate supervisor of health, physical education and recreation at University of California, Davis. Joyce and Jim were charter members of the first Southern Baptist Church formed in Davis. In 1963 Jim became chairman of the Department of Physical Education and Recreation at State University College, Buffalo, New York. The family moved to Bolivar Missouri in 1965, where he joined Southwest Baptist College and found his final home. Jim found in Bolivar a small two year Christian junior college that was structurally old and functionally limited. He visualized something better and began calling on partners to help him build it. He became the president of Southwest Baptist College in 1968 and later Chancellor of Southwest Baptist University. During his 27 years of service to SBU, Jims vision, with the help of many, began to become reality. The small two year college with poor facilities became a four year university with a modern 152 acre campus. The few NAIA sports teams evolved into a NCAA Division II athletics program with 16 sports. In place of a junior college associate degree, SBU grew to offers graduate and post graduate degrees in multiple disciplines. For 42 years Jim called Bolivar home. Under his able guidance SBU grew and became a proud partner with the community. Over the years, others also had visions of something better that Jim embraced. His talent for fund raising made him a valuable proponent of many community projects over the years. One cannot imagine a Bolivar without the evidence of the often invisible, yet assuredly present fingerprints of Jims involvement: the Cancer Center at Citizens Memorial Hospital, the YMCA, the Rayle Library, and many other community projects were aided by his leadership and willingness to dig in and get things done. On the morning of November 25th, 20007, God considered Jims eternity, and he visualized something better, so he called him home. Together, they are no doubt building it. Preceded in death by his wife Joyce Sells and parents James V. and Erma Sells, Jim is survived by his four children, Janice Glover of Warrensburg, MO; Scott Sells of Colorado Springs, CO; Ben Sells, of Upland, IN; and Jane Siebert of Springfield, MO; his brother Sam Sells of Campbell, CA and his sister Mary Lou Curran of Georgetown, TX. He leaves behind 14 loving grandchildren, Justin Glover, Cook Glover, Drew Glover, Spencer Glover, Emily Sells, Sam Sells, Patrick Sells, Abby Sells, Jake Sells, Seth Siebert, Jenny Sells, Silas Siebert, Tyler Sells, and Sarah Siebert. Funeral services will be held at 10:00am, Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at the First Baptist Church in Bolivar, Missouri. Congregational songs will be "His Eye Is On The Sparrow", "In The Garden" and "The Lord's Prayer". Burial will follow at Crestview Memorial Gardens just East of Bolivar, Missouri under the direction of the Butler Funeral Home. Pallbearers will be Justin Glover, Cook Glover, Drew Glover, Spencer Glover, Sam Sells, and Patrick Sells. Attendants will be Emily Sells, Abby Sells, Jake Sells, Seth Siebert, Jenny Sells, Silas Siebert, Tyler Sells and Sarah Siebert. A visitation will be from 5-7pm, Tuesday evening, November 27, 2007 at the Butler Funeral Home in Bolivar, Missouri. The family suggests contributions in memory of James Sells to the Southwest Baptist University or the Citizen's Memorial Hospital both in Bolivar, Missouri. Friends may sign the guest book or send private condolences at www.butlerfuneralhome.com PDF Printable Version

Dr. James Lee Sells

August 21, 1928 - November 25, 2007