James Richard Jordan (Jimmie Jordan), passed peacefully in his sleep in Fredericksburg, Texas, on Friday, September 20, 2024, at the age of 89. Jimmie was born on March 15, 1935, in Mason, Texas, in a house on the hill near the current Fort Mason Historical Structure, to Walter F. Jordan and Lillie Mae Jordan (Kidd). He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mona J. Jordan (Anderson) of Mason, and two children, Delinda Skaggs (Larry) of Brownwood, and Rick Jordan (Becky) of Mason. He is also survived by four grandchildren, Sammy Skaggs (Jess), Staci Brobeck (Josh), Brooke Jordan, Ryan Jordan (Ty), and seven great-grandchildren.
Jimmie attended Mason Schools where he enjoyed playing football and was very involved in 4H projects. One of his highlights was winning Reserve Champion Steer at the Houston Stock Show in 1946. After graduating from Mason High School in 1953, Jimmie attended Texas Lutheran College for a short time on a football scholarship that was cut short due to a leg injury. He then proceeded to Southwest Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos (1954-1959) where he finished with a master’s degree in Ag. & Ag Ed.; Adm. Ag. After graduation he taught school for a brief period at Louise, Texas and the San Marcos Academy. Also, during this time (1956-1961), Jimmie served in the Army National Guard and was Honorably Discharged as an E6 Staff Sargent.
While Jimmie’s football career was cut short, he utilized his love of swimming he had his whole life. He served as the lifeguard at various locations including the City of Mason Swimming pool where he taught swimming lessons for many summers. While in San Marcos, he worked at the Aquarena Springs amusement park performing in the underwater theater (swimming with Ralph the Pig), as well as performing maintenance duties such as diving underwater and trimming the vegetation that grew in the river inside the park.
Jimmie and his family moved to Brownwood in 1964 when he started work at the Social Security Administration as a field agent for Brown and surrounding rural counties helping people get signed up and receive their Social Security benefits. While there he also served in the Brownwood Junior Chamber (Jaycees), and on the Brownwood Hospital Authority.
Following their retirements, Jim and Mona moved back to his hometown of Mason where he maintained the Jordan family ranch his whole life that was never far from his thoughts and dreams. He loved Mason and served on the Board for the Mason Clinic and was very involved with the Mason County Conservation District of the US Dept. of Ag Soil Conservation Service. He Received the honor of “Conservationist of the Year” in the 1980’s for the water, grazing, and fencing improvements he completed on his ranch. He was also a long-time member of the original James River Cowboys and looked forward to their yearly fish fry. He loved to run trot lines for catfish in the Llano River just as much as cooking and eating his catch.
Throughout his whole life, what Jimmie enjoyed the most was ranching, raising livestock, and improving the land, and telling stories of all that is mentioned above. His love for livestock and personal pets was very evident to his family because his backyards, in both Brownwood and Mason, many times contained baby calves, sheep, turkey, chickens, racoons, rabbits, deer, and even a javelina hog that needed to be rescued. Everybody was given a name, including most of his livestock. He loved animals and his favorite charitable organization was the Mason Animal Shelter.
There is a family and friends gathering being planned at a future date to celebrate and reminisce the life of Jimmie for all that knew and loved him.
Condolences may be sent to the family on-line at masonfuneralhome.net.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Mason Funeral Home.