Extracted from The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)
Sherman, Honorable James Graves ``Jim''
Service for James Graves ``Jim'' Sherman, age 81, of Columbia, will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, July 3, at the First United Methodist Church in Columbia with the Rev. Pam Roy officiating. James Mixon will deliver the eulogy. Interment with Masonic rites and military rites will follow in the Columbia Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Sherman was born in Columbia on May 30, 1924, to the union of Dr. Dollie Oliver and Zudie Jones Sherman, and died Friday, July 1, 2005, in Baton Rouge. Mr. Sherman was the mayor of Columbia. He had served as mayor for 41 years, from 1964 to 1980, and from 1984 until present. He is currently Louisiana's longest serving mayor, hence, he is the ``Dean of Louisiana Mayors.'' He served for eight years on the Columbia Town Council. He served as president of the Louisiana Municipal Association in 1968. He was a licensed real estate broker for 40 years and a real estate appraiser for 15 years. He was a board member for the National Association of Master Appraisers from 1997 to 2003. He was active in municipal and governmental affairs with board membership in Risk Management Inc. and the Louisiana Municipal Gas Authority. He participated in numerous LMA committees and task forces throughout his years in public service. As LMA's longest-serving past president still in municipal office he, for many years, had the privilege of reading the ``LMA Memorial Report'' (a report of the deaths of Louisiana mayors, municipal officials and other prominent public officials) at each year's annual convention.
Mr. Sherman was a veteran of World War II, having served in active duty from November 1942 until March 1946. He was assigned to the 52nd Bomb Squadron, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign. He served in the Air Offensive Japan. He received the American Theater Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Stars, 2 Good Conduct Medals and a World War II Victory Medal. He also served two terms on the Republican State Central Committee. He was a perpetual member of Columbia Masonic Lodge, 164, a perpetual member of Rosemary Lodge 278, a member of the Monroe York Rites Bodies and a charter member of Barak Shrine. He was a member of the Columbia Kiwanis Club since January 20, 1951, and served as president and on numerous committees. Mr. Sherman was a member of the American Legion Louisiana Post 162 for 59 years.
Survivors include his wife, Geraldine Dunn Sherman of Columbia; his sons: James Graves Sherman Jr. of Houston, Stephen Lee Sherman of Baton Rouge, and Thomas Oliver Sherman of Houston; his stepchildren, Karen Sue Cruse of Grayson and Reginald Dunn Watson of Monroe; his grandchildren, Stephen Lee Sherman Jr., Kramer Graves Sherman, Bennett Oliver Sherman, Elizabeth Jane Sherman, Thomas Campbell Sherman and Webber Graves Sherman; and his stepgrandchildren, Bernard Lewis ``Tracy'' Hatch, Kimberly Ann Cruse, Charles Wesley Cruse, Deanna Kay St. Germain and Christian Reed Watson.
Pallbearers will be James Mixon, Linus Carroll, Bob Meredith, Scott Meredith, Chuck Cruse, Pearl Adams, Doug Crockett and Russ Cummings.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the ``Sherman Lake Memorial Fund,'' P.O. Box 10, Columbia, LA 71418. Visitation will be Saturday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 3, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. at Riser Funeral Home, 7131 U.S. 165, Columbia.
Saturday, July 2, 2005