James Lewis (Father)

Jo Ann Rash (Mother)
Mom is a product of Fresno, California and has lived in the Fresno area for her entire life.  Mom met Dad at Clovis High School, and they became sweethearts there.  She was my best friend through my childhood and adolescence.  I confided easily in her, even with topics that most children find embarrassing to discuss with their parents.  She's been a tremendous example of sacrifice to me, as she has given up her entire life in devotion to her family, especially to my handicapped brother, who she  attended to unceasingly for the last 20 years of his life. 

Timothy Lewis (Brother)
Seven years my elder, Tim was born on on 13 July 1962.  On November, 15, 1981 he was in an automobile accident.  He was eighteen years old--a recent graduate from Sierra High School in Tollhouse, California.  Tim always lived life on the edge.  On that dreadful November day, he was a passenger in a pick-up truck.  Both he and his friend had too much to drink and were going too fast for the curves on Auberry Road just a couple of miles from our home.  The truck went off the road and flipped end over end several times.  He was thrown out and wrapped around an oak tree like a horseshoe, causing severe internal injuries and brain damage.  He was on the edge of life and death, but after spending a couple of months in a coma and several more months in therapy, Timothy was able to survive the incident.  The brain damage nonetheless confines him to a wheelchair.  Happily, Tim and I have always had an incredibly close relationship, even with the seven years of age difference that separates us.  Tim passed away with congestive heart failure, a complication of his physical handicap and inactivity, on 19 May 2002.

Grandparents

All of my grandparents are now deceased.  My remaining grandmother, Eunice Carmassi (Maiden name: Blevins) just passed away on 28 Mar 2007. She was a retired assembly line operation, from whose vending machines you may have extracted a soda or two.  She loved to quilt, crochet, and enjoyed the company of her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She had been widowed for nearly 40 years, which is both amazing and also a bit sad.  My grandfather, Thomas Rash, died in April 1967, a couple of years before I was born.

My paternal grandfather, Leonard Lewis was a World War II veteran, who survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the battles of Midway and Normandy. He was my first close relative to pass away in 1997.  I was honored to offer the eulogy at his funeral.  Whenever I think of him now, I am pleased to remember his achievements.  My Grandmother, Helen Pritchard, joined him in death in 2000.  I also offered remarks of gratitude at her funeral.  Her hard work and endlessly cheerful nature were deep losses to our family and the world.

Wife and Children

I married Kimberly Suzanne Loyd on 11 August 1995.  We've enjoyed a wonderful relationship and feel like we were extracted from the same mold.  We both enjoy the same things, have extremely similar beliefs, feelings, and goals in life.  Being so much alike has made life all the easier, since we rarely disagree, and when we do, we are always able to respect each other's opinion.

Raising children is both a joy and a challenge, as any parent will attest.  I truly believe that life without Amelia and Raymond would not be nearly as exciting or fulfilling.  They are both intelligent and love to read... gee, where could they get those traits from.  While they have not been giving much athletic exposure from us, they certainly are being trained to love the outdoors.  Both of them love to go camping whenever we get the opportunity.

Since moving to Idaho in 2005, we have invited some foster children into our home.  First, we had Trent, who stayed with us for about a year and a half before being placed with an aunt and uncle for adoption.  Having been in foster care since birth, we are excited that he'll get to have the stability of a forever family.

In January 2007, a case worker called us with an urgent need.  Two adorable little girls had been taken out of their home and placed into an over-crowded home with nine other foster children.  We thought to ourselves, "Gee, we have this big house and it's just the four of us..."  So we couldn't pass up the opportunity to serve them for a while.  Isabella (20 months old when she arrived) and Bailey (4 months old when she arrived) are both sweet and patient spirits who we are glad to have with us.  They have visits with their mom twice a week while she tries to fix some things in her life. She is hopeful to have her girls back with her permanently some day soon.

If you use the Personal Ancestral File software from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a zipped version of the PAF file is here