Mr. James Orville Snelen

James Orville Snelen, “Jimmy”, was born in a house on a street near Fair Park in Dallas on November 18, 1932. By the time he was ready for public school, the family had moved to Oak Cliff. As he grew and his life progressed, he participated in the musical programs offered at school and churches.
Meanwhile at home, both Grandmothers played the piano by ear and began to teach him how to make chords. Thus, it began. His ability to sing and now to accompany himself playing the piano.
He won a scholarship to be the vocalist for the world-famous Cowboy Band of Hardin Simmons University. There he met and fell in love with Jane, who became the mother of their 3 children, Victoria, Jaime, and Steve.
When they moved to Dallas, he began leading the music in area churches. And at some point, moved to Waco to attend Baylor’s voice and piano programs. He met the late evangelist, Freddie Gage, and in May 1952 they began leading youth revivals in the area and continued trying to attend classes at Baylor. The demand for this team was great and they were booked every weekend to churches filled to capacity in non-air-conditioned buildings. Jimmy and Freddie were a team for 10 years.
Jimmy then began freelancing and collaborating with evangelists including Charles Massegee, the late Angel Martinez and his younger brother, the late Homer Martinez, as well as dozens of other Southern Baptist Evangelists.
And revivals over 2,000 of them, concerts and funerals went on and on and on all over America.
In July of 1976, Jimmy was guest musician at a Home Coming in Waco at the late Dr. G.P. Comer’s Community Church. Bro. Comer had held 3 revivals at my home church in Memphis, Tennessee and I was invited due to being on his mailing list. So that began an extended conversation that now has become a happy marriage of 47 years.
When it became hard for him to constantly travel, he became the music director and singer at the Shady Grove Baptist Church, a community of Crockett, Texas. At the same time, we were ministering in Texas State Prisons. We served at Shady Grove for about 8 years and did Prison Ministry with the late Dr. Paul Carlin for 12 years. This was the greatest missionary work anyone could do. To see a hardened criminal surrender their heart and life to Jesus was truly overwhelming. We were allowed to visit the ladies on Death Row. They lived in a separate building and Karla Fay Tucker was a hot topic in the news at that time because she was to be executed-the first woman executed-the first woman executed in many, many years. She was adorable after God cleaned up her life. She called Jimmy her big brother as they had the same date of birth, November 18.
After 8 years at Shady Grove in Crockett, Texas, we just could not make that weekly trip anymore. Jimmy was invited to do the music for a small revival in Arlington, Texas at the Northwest Baptist Church. Charles Massegee was the Evangelist. The people instantly wanted Jimmy to become their music man so after much prayer and discussion he resigned at Shady Grove, and we served at Northwest Baptist on Oakwood Street about another 8 years.
Jimmy’s health began to decline more and more, and I took care of him at home as long as was possible and then he was admitted to a nursing home in Arlington where he survived for 14 years. That journey ended on Monday, January 1, 2024, when he passed into the arms of Jesus-never to have pain and suffering again.
That brings you to today, here at Wade Family Funeral Home. Our preacher today, Brother Mike McMahon and our singer Denton McDugle are from Deer Park, Texas and met Jimmy when they were little boys, and he did so many youth revivals in the Houston-Harris County area. Mike and Denton have stayed connected with Jimmy all these years and we thank God for men dedicated to the cause of Christ as they are.
Thank you for coming today. We love and appreciate each of you.
Love, Wilma Snelen