Friends, Family Celebrate Life Of Councilwoman During Funeral Service


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JAMESTOWN – Friends, family members and other Jamestown officials gathered for more than two hours Wednesday to celebrate the life of Councilwoman Vickye James during a service at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Councilwoman At-Large Tamu Graham-Reinhardt spoke during the service. Graham-Reinhardt told those in attendance that she has known James for many years prior to their joint service on the Council, as James helped start a version of “Soul Train” at Jamestown Community College when she was 13.





Graham-Reinhardt says that James taught her that a person can be a leader and innovator no matter how young or old they are.

“Never think that you’re too young or too old, or you don’t have the skills and the talents, because God has blessed us all with something that we can do,” Graham-Reinhardt said. “I have enjoyed the time that I had with Council, but I knew her before.”

Graham-Reinhardt notes that James played an instrumental role in her life when she returned to the City of Jamestown.





















“You never know when someone is going to touch your life, and steer you in a direction to put you in a place where you never thought you’d be,” Graham-Reinhardt furthered. “I want to thank the family for sharing Vickye with the community.”

James’ daughter, Qiana “KiKi” James, also spoke during the service. She explains that she wants the community to rally together and continue the work that her mother did to better the City of Jamestown.

“I want everyone to continue, my nephews, my nieces, my brother, my dad, my family, we’re going to have to continue to on with what my mom fought so hard for,” James said. “Because my mom has fought every day of her life for this City. And she put the whole City on her back, and she deserves everything that is, all this greatness.”

“Everything that lady did, it’s going to take all of us to come together to continue that legacy.”









James, a lifelong Jamestown resident, was a 1976 graduate of Jamestown High School and later graduated from Jamestown Community College. At the time of her death, she was working on a degree in Ministry.

 

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