James Earl Budlove (97) of St. Elmo

James Earl Budlove was born on Nov. 16, 1925 to James and Marie (Young) Budlove, and passed away on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022.

Funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 10, 2022 at Pagel Funeral Homes in St. Elmo, Illinois with a one-hour visitation prior to the service. Pastor Dan Laack will be officiating. Burial will be at Maplewood Cemetery in St. Elmo. Military Rites will be observed. James requested that memorials go to Gideons International or Moody Bible Institute. Online condolences may be expressed by clicking here.

Jim served over two years in the US Airforce and married Doris Reynolds in 1946. Jim graduated from Moody Bible Institute in 1964 and was ordained in 1972. For the next several years he served in different positions in the local church, becoming pastor in 1976. He worked for Illinois Bell Telephone Co. for 36 years, retiring in 1984. In 1981 he married Erma (Rush) Bail and in 1983 they retired to San Diego, CA. Jim loved his retirement years there and was a member of the San Diego Zoological Society for many years. He became a member of the Technical Assistance Program in 1987, with which he and Erma traveled to many parts of the world installing telephone systems in different mission stations and outreaches. He was a member of San Diego Beautiful and took a very active part in beautifying the city he called home. In 1998 he and Erma received the Civic Beautification award as Missionaries and philanthropists. He was also a very active member of the San Diego Geranium Society. Jim joined the Baptist Church in 1976 and for the remainder of his life he served the Lord with a passion for reading and studying the Bible. His heart was for the mission fields, and he contributed heavily to that cause. In 1987 he became a chaplain at the San Diego County Jail where his love was for serving the Lord among the inmates for nearly 30 years. In 1989 he received the Alexander Graham Bell Award from the Illinois Bell Telephone Company. His home was always open to visitors and he himself had a love for travel, visiting 11 countries in Europe as well as New Zealand, Hong Kong, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Venezuela and the Philippines in the course of his TAP work.

Mr. Budlove is survived by his loving wife; sons, Jerry (Debbie), Earl (Brenda)Dennis; daughter, Nancy (Bob) McNamara; eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. Other surviving family members include sisters, Lorene Duncan, Juanita Cunningham, Eleanor Dial and brother, William Budlove. Also surviving stepsons, James, Jack, Jerry and John Bail.