James Ralf Saunders was born on April 15, 1947, in Jacksonville, Texas. He graduated and attended Texas City High in the mid-60s and married Carolyn Kintz in 1964 and had their first son, Thomas. 

In the mid-60s and 70s they ran and owned Butcher Shops in Orange County and enjoyed there 20s in the desert riding dirt bikes and every sports toy known to man at that time. 

While living in California they had two more boys, Darrel and Mike. After leaving California in the late 70s-80s and moving to Oregon to carry on the rest of Jim’s life adventure, they found themselves in Bend for a few years and had their first daughter, Laura. 

The next couple of decades were spent mostly in Grant County where they had their last child, Lawrence, and eventually moved to Burns in 1997. In Burns, Jim found himself owning multiple business through the years from the bowling alley that is now a empty lot to Convenient Services and the Saw Shop next door.

Through the years Jim found himself living life’s adventures in the hot southern sun in the desert to building a house in the middle of the mountains between Mt. Vernon and Dayville, with hundreds of acres of tree’s and streams as far as the eye could see. 

He went from being a butcher and providing food for communities to being a logger in the mountains and growing gardens to feed his family. His midlife years were spent here in Burns owning multiple business and trying to be a successful businessman in the community. 

Jimmy was known as hard working and always wanted to complete every job to the top of expectation. He had a very productive life and raised his kids to be hardworking and expect more out of life if you stick to it.

Jimmy is survived by his ex-wife, Carolyn Saunders; his brother, Daryl Saunders; and sister, Vicky; his sons, Larry, Mike, Darrel, and Thomas Saunders; daughter, Laura Martin; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will no longer be in pain and will join his mother, Mary and father, Calvin in a better place.    

His funeral will be Saturday, April 16, at   11 a.m. at LaFollette’s Chapel.