Alfred Jarvis

Funeral services for Alfred ""Al"" Jarvis, 75, of Lufkin will be held Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. at Keltys First Baptist Church with Brother Scott Attebery and Pastor Mark Livingston officiating. Interment will follow in the Gann Cemetery with Brother Jerry Browning and Brother Aaron Wilson officiating.

Alfred Newton Jarvis, better known as simply ""Al"" by most folks, was born October 28, 1937 in Henderson, Texas. He went to sleep Tuesday night and found eternal rest with our Father in Heaven. Even though he is no longer with us, he leaves a vast amount of himself behind in the people whose lives he touched. Al's father passed away at an early age and he, his sister and mother were left without a father and husband. So Al, at age 7, was called upon to begin a life of service and dedication to others that would last the rest of his life. He and Darlene DeLaFosse Jarvis were married for 52 years and during that time, his love and faithfulness to her never wavered. They had two children, Andy and Jill, who grew up in a home where God was made first priority to all other things. Al honored God by providing for his family and he invested himself in their growth and development. He taught the Word of God but greater than this, he lived it every day. He served as music director at Happy Hour Baptist Church (now called Memorial Baptist) and then at O'Quinn Baptist Church in Central where he grew up after his father's death. In 1971, he and his family joined Keltys First Baptist Church and for 41 years has served there faithfully. He was ordained a Deacon while at Keltys.

Al retired from Southwest Color Printing (now called Vertis) after 32 plus years of employment. For the past 20 years he was known as ""the peanut man"" by many around the Lufkin/Nacogdoches area and at the first Monday trade days at Canton, Texas where he and Darlene roasted peanuts with some antique coffee roasters for 14 plus years. He loved to roast peanuts for any other occasion like church events, local schools and other festivals and for a number of years would take his antique rig to Six Flags to participate in their month long Heritage Days event. He was fascinated with old and unusual mechanical things and would restore as many items as he could obtain. His love for tinkering was passed down to his son and grandsons, who spent countless hours ""down at the barn"" working on various projects. He was a member of the Texas Early Day Tractor and Engine Association which was a club dedicated to the preservation of machines and farm equipment built at the start of the age of mechanization. Every year on the first Saturday weekend of October, the entire Jarvis family would travel to Temple, Texas for the state show to spend quality time and fellowship together. It had become a Jarvis family tradition.

Al's life was all about serving and giving to others and in this he found great joy. His needs in life were few but his contributions were many. His greatest accomplishments came in the success of the ones he served and mentored more than anything ever credited to him. He encouraged excellence from his children and grandchildren because he knew it honored God. He loved music and saw to it his children were trained accordingly and then supported them and his grandsons to use their talents for the Lord. When his wife, children, daughter-in-law, son-in-law or grandchildren had any kind of special event, he was there to support them. According to the world's standards, his wealth would have been considered of modest worth but he knew he was rich with God's blessings and he valued his family more than anything this life had to offer.

Al is survived by his wife, Geneva Darlene DeLaFosse Jarvis; son, Andy Jarvis and wife Lea with grandsons Aaron Jarvis and Adam Jarvis, and soon to be granddaughter-in-law, Ashton Wilson, all of Lufkin; son-in-law whom he loved as his own son, Scott Attebery with grandson Bryce Attebery of El Dorado, Arkansas; sister, Sandra Jarvis Green and husband Karol Green of Lufkin; aunt, Sadell Hunter of Lufkin; and nieces and nephews, Kara Bohall and husband Troy, Leann Lucas, Robyn Green, all of Lufkin, Kalen Green and wife Jennifer of Spring.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Newton Franklin Jarvis and Lora Novella Berry Jarvis; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Earnest Arvil DeLaFosse and Ollie Mae Baker DeLaFosse; and brother-in-law, Earnest Earl ""Bo"" DeLaFosse. In 2008, he lost a daughter, Jill Jarvis Atteberry after a tragic automobile accident. It was a devastating loss but only a few months before, she had given birth to a grandson, Bryce, whom with his father Scott, have been gifts from God to the Jarvis family.

Pallbearers will be Darrell Richardson, Bob Harris, Jake Lyon, Bill Adams, David Landrum, Jeff Griggs, Milton Wade, Jimmy Nunn, Paul Tinkle and Patrick Largent, all Deacons that served with Al.

Honorary pallbearers will be Karol Green, Delbert Richardson, Burl Richardson, Charles DeLaFosse, Phillip DeLaFosse, Irving Ray Berry and Roy ""Dinky"" Cates.

Memorial contributions in Al's memory may be made to Keltys First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 3043, Lufkin, Texas 75903.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday evening at Keltys First Baptist Church.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.