James “Buddy” Lafayette Lenamond
James “Buddy” Lafayette Lenamond of Old Union passed away Friday, June 30, 2023, at Providence Hospital in Waco at age 84.
Visitation will be held from 5-7 PM on Saturday, July 1, 2023, in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel.
Funeral services will be held at Victory Baptist Church on Sunday, July 2, 2023, at 1 PM with Rev. Ben David Watson officiating. Private burial will be held at a later date.
Pallbearers are Buddy’s beloved grandchildren: Desi Lenamond, Jr., Jordan Gleba, Tony Gleba, and Danielle Hillyer.
Buddy was born March 30, 1939, in Thornton to Arnold and Suzie Shriver Lenamond, the second child of eight. Buddy and brother Doug packed up at the age of 15 and moved to the Dallas area and began working in a donut business and went on to own multiple Southern Made Donut shops around the metroplex. He transitioned into owning A-1 Sand & Gravel in Mesquite driving dump trucks and operating equipment leveling and installing new driveways and other excavation working in the area until moving his business to Groesbeck until retiring at 79. For the last 20 years, Buddy enjoyed working on his property in Old Union. Times were difficult growing up for the Lenamond kids; many meals consisted of beans and potatoes and living off the land. Dad worked hard to improvise in many situations, on one occasion he cut a hole in the door of his dump truck to install a 110-volt air conditioner with a generator mounted underneath to stay cool working to provide for his family.
He was able to create new and exciting experiences with his grandchildren when they would visit by having new batches of puppies for them to play with, bonfires, minibikes, surfing behind the golf cart, and playing in the sand piles. He would have the grandkids ride in the bucket on his front-end-loader which earned him the title as “PaPa’s bucket riders”.
Buddy and Doris enjoyed traveling the last 12 years around the country. They explored theme parks like Disney World, Sea World where he rode his first rollercoaster at 72, sightseeing in Las Vegas, musicals in Branson, Grand Canyon, and other attractions. They also spent time traveling to hear country music bands and enjoyed various performances.
Buddy was known by everyone to have a great smile; a friendly hello could hold a conversation about anything to anyone. He never met a stranger.
Buddy was preceded in death by his parents, siblings, Douglas Lenamond, Ronnie Dean Lenamond, Raymond “PeeWee” Lenamond; brother-in-law, Chesley Masters; children, Desmond “Desi” Lenamond, Dolly Jo Clark and Angela James “Jamie” Baird.
Buddy is survived by his companion, Doris Lemley of Old Union; daughter, Dena and husband Rob Way of Parker, CO; son, Scott and wife Gretchen Lenamond of Centennial, CO; grandchildren, Desi Lenamond, Jr., Jordan Gleba and husband Tony, Danielle Hillyer and husband Dane, Micha Lenamond and wife Tonia, Julian Clark, Jake Baird, Brady Lenamond, and Mia Lenamond; great grandchildren, Brenton Lenamond, Levi Lenamond, Sophia Beth Hillyer; brothers and sisters, Sue Nettles and husband Morris, Adam “Skinner” O’Dell Lenamond, Billie Estelle Masters, Jimmy Gordon Lenamond and wife Lavaughn and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family.