Rev. James "Jim" Robert Copeland died at 7:30am, November 20, 2024 at his home in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the age of 93 years old.  James was born on April 1, 1931, as the oldest of 5 children to the late Millard Fillmore and Mary (Roberts) Copeland in Thorntown, Indiana.  James married Martha "Marty" Jane Walker on August 10, 1951 in the Shannondale Bethel Presbyterian Church in Mongomery County, Indiana by Rev. Elbert Smith.
He is survived by three daughters, Joy Denise Reeser of Monticello, IN, Tamara Lynn Low of Fort Wayne, IN, Lara Michelle Rich of Fort Wayne Indiana, one daughter-in-law, Susan Koekenberg Copeland Nagel of Malinta, OH along with their families listed below.  He is also survived by his sister, Joan Copeland (Richard) Culley, and one brother, Millard Carter (Esther Breedlove) Copeland.  He was preceded in death by sons, James "Bob" Robert Copeland Jr. and Samual Dennis Copeland, and by his parents, Millard Fillmore and Mary Margaret Copeland, and brothers, Richard Dean (Marilyn McDaniel) Copeland, and Donald Gene (Wanda Hicks) Copeland, and by great grandchild, Joseph Andrew Walts.
Jim and Marty's children's families are listed below.
Bob (Susan) Copeland – Ann (Patrick) Martin (children: Samantha (Abraham) Stottlemyer, Kaylynn Martin, Jillian Martin; from another marriage - Dana Keys (children: Presley Cook, Keydjy Sauveur) and Patrick J. Keys.
Joy (Barry) Reeser – Amanda (Nathan) Walts (children: Brant, Benton, and Emry Walts); Scott (Blaine) Reeser (children: Jack, Harper, and Benjamin)
Tamara (Kenneth) Low – Christopher (Jennifer) Low (child: Kyla Low); Andrew (Samantha) Low; Jason (Elizabeth) Low (children: Ava, Alivia, Lyra, and Wyatt Low); Sean (Samantha) Low
Lara (G.R.) Rich – Gabriel and Gracie-Jane Rich; from other relationships – Dakota (Erin) Rich (children: Tatum and Palmer Rich), Cierra (Caleb Matlock) Rich (child: Esther Matlock), Mariah (Jesse) Brandenberger (child: Mac Brandenberger), Kala Rich, Elijah Rich; bonus children from another marriage – Daniel (Jessica) Yoquelet (children: Evie and Ivy Yoquelet), Amanda (James) Ball (children:  Mason, Micah, Kenzie, Kaleb Ball), David Knight (child: Oliver Knight);
James grew up and attended several schools in Lebanon and Boone County, Indiana.  While living in Lebanon he had a paper route and also swept floors in a local dime store.  He started out at Lebanon High School, but graduated from Dover High School in 1949.  While in Dover High School, he played varsity basketball and was the star in the junior play, "Antics of Andrew".  It was there that he met his future wife and "Sweetie", Martha Jane Walker.
After graduating from high school Jim worked at Allison Division of General Motors and attended Lain Drafting College in Indianapolis.  When the Korean War broke out, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served in Korea from November 1951 to November 1952.  He went to Korea as a gunner on a B-26, and came back to the States as a B-47 aircraft mechanic.  During his time in the service, he was stationed in Texas, Colorado, Virginia, California, and Illinois and received the rank of Staff Sergeant.  While in the Air Force, Jim and Marty had two children, James Robert Copeland Jr. and Joy Denise Copeland. He was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1955.
After being discharged from the Air Force, Jim went back to working for Allison's where his job had been held for him working in jet propulsion.  He and Marty moved to Prince's Lake, Indiana and they had another son, Samuel Dennis Copeland.  The following year, Jim, with the help of family, built a new home near Whitestown, Indiana, where Jim and Marty added another daughter, Tamara Lynn Copeland, to their family.   He continued working full-time and attended Purdue University at the Indianapolis extension on a part-time basis.  Due to his studies, he was offered a new job as a technician at Linde Division of Union Carbide.  It was there that he built a prototype of the very first brain probe for use in cryosurgery.  Around this time, while attending Whitestown Methodist Church, he received God's call into the ministry.  He entered the ministry when he was 31 years old, and he graduated with an Associate Degree in Engineering Technology in 1962.  That same year on his 31st birthday he preached his first two sermons at Moran and Kilmore Methodist Churches.  While serving those two churches he continued attending Purdue University and graduated with a Bachelors Degree of Industrial Education in 1964.
In 1962, Jim, Marty and family moved to Reynolds, Indiana and he began serving the Reynolds and Guernsey Methodist Churches.  At that time, he also entered Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.  He left Marty and the kids on Mondays to travel to Evanston for the week and returned home on Friday each week.  He did this for 4 years!  In 1967 Jim and Marty had another darling baby girl, Lara Michelle Copeland.  In 1968 he graduated from Garrett Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity and he was ordained an Elder in the Methodist Church of the Northwest Indiana Conference by Bishop Richard C. Raines.
He served for 42 years as pastor in the following United Methodist Churches: Moran-Kilmore, Reynolds-Guernsey, Monon, Elkhart Calvary, Dayton (Indiana), Hobart Trinity, Knox, and Monticello. During his career he was a member of the North Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church where he served on the United Methodist Foundation Board and the Conference Board of Global Ministry.  He also served as chairman of the Lafayette District Missions as well as directing the Lafayette District Junior High church camp at Pine Creek for 6 years. While at Dayton he and Marty assisted in the building of a new parsonage. Several years later, Jim was sent as Pastor to Knox UMC to help raise money and oversee the construction of a new church building.  Before leaving there seven years later, the new church was built and paid for completely.
When he retired in June 1993, Jim and Marty moved into their home on Bedford Bay of Lake Shafer between Monon and Monticello, Indiana on which they worked together to remodel and double in size.  After a month of retirement, he returned to the ministry part-time for the Monticello United Methodist Church as their minister of congregational care until January 1, 2004.  After serving for a short time as a chaplain for White County Memorial Hospital, he and Marty moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana to help care for grandchildren Sean Low, Gabriel Rich, Gracie-Jane Rich and their great-granddaughter, Kyla Low.  Once in Fort Wayne, Jim and Marty attended Aldersgate United Methodist Church where he sang in the Wesley Choir, and volunteered his time to the Stephen Ministry and to visiting in hospitals and nursing homes.
James had a deep love of music, especially bluegrass. He and his wife Marty loved to sing and sang in every church choir where they served.  He played the 6-string and 12-string acoustical guitars, the mandolin, the mountain dulcimer, the ukulele, and at age 70 he began taking lessons on the 5-string banjo.  Jim loved to golf and was especially proud of his record of 2 holes-in-one!  He enjoyed walking and, in fact, consistently walked 2 miles a day even into his 90s.  He liked to read mysteries and intrigue, to travel, and to be with people.  He and Marty especially enjoyed their trip to the Holy Lands in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. He was really proud of receiving his private pilot's license while living in Monon, Indiana and was very excited to fly Marty and his girls to Upper Michigan to see his brother. He also enjoyed riding his motorcycle when calling on his church members – although sometimes the person he was calling on wouldn't open the door to him!
James was a compassionate, caring, and kind man.  He once wrote the following of his ministry, "…I've always had an inner desire to want to have my life matter, to somehow make my life a positive effect upon the world God brought me into.  In ministry I feel like God has allowed me to make a difference in people's lives, in children's lives, and in lives facing tragedies and facing death.  I'm not a Billy Graham, whom I admire, but God has given me other gifts and graces that I've been called to use for ministry, I'm thankful to have been called."
Visitation will be on Friday, November 29th, from 4-8pm at Covington Memorial Funeral Home, 8408 Covington Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana.  There will also be visitation one hour prior to an 11:30am service on Saturday, November 30th, at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 2417 Getz Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana officiated by Pastor Tom Ream.  Interment will take place following the service at Covington Memorial Gardens Cemetery.  Flowers are welcome. Donations to the Aldersgate United Methodist Church or to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) are also welcome.  Please make those donations through the Aldersgate UM Church.