James Hayden Ainsworth

Funeral services for James Hayden Ainsworth will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, November 24, 2017, at Shady Grove United Pentecostal Church in Jena, LA with Rev. Curtis Thornton, Rev. Matthew Pagels, and Rev. J.C. Vanover officiating. Interment will follow at Jena Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4:00 pm on Thursday, November 23, 2017 until service time Friday at Shady Grove United Pentecostal Church. Hayden, or “Slim”, as he was known to many, was born in Walters, LA on December 28, 1936 and was transformed to glory on November 21, 2017, at 80 years of age. Hayden loved to fish at any time with his favorite fishing buddy Gregory LaCroix. He worked for over 50 years in the oil field, meeting one of his life time friends, Wesley Otwell. He served in the National Guard in the 300 71st DC Company at Camp Beauregard, LA. He has been the “great coffee drinking, solving all the world’s problems, kind of friend” that any person could ask for. One of his favorite things was joking and picking on all his nieces. You never knew what he would do or say next. It's been told that he wore out a shotgun hunting ducks with his cousin, Shelby Masters. Hayden was known by many names, but one that most knew him by was “The Cook” at Whitehall Mall, after his retirement. His biscuits were famous in our local area. He was a compassionate man, would help anyone he could, and had a smile that could win your heart. He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley Nell Allen Ainsworth; his father, James Curtis Ainsworth, his mother, Mary Leola Chevallier Stevenson; and one grandson, Randall Corey Steil. He is survived by his two brothers, Lavelle Stevenson (Betty Jo) and Doyle Stevenson-(Janet); his four children, Mary Jo Robinson-(Randy) of Meridian, MS, Tonya Pagels-(Robert) of Natchitoches, LA, Curtis Hugh Ainsworth-(Christy) of Sharptown, LA, and Amber Lee-(Jeremy) of Sharptown, LA; thirteen grandchildren; Summer Alexander-(Jason), Crystal Bass-(Anthony), Ashly Pagels, Matthew Pagels-(Leah), Weston, Hannah, Dylan, Brianna, Brittany, Cade, Bella, Hayden, and Caden; his great-grandchildren, Holton, Joley, Jayme, Tre, Kyleigh, Leo, Ayden, Tinley, Kathryn, Joshua Hayden, Hannah, Kidron and Cainan James. He is also survived by 5 nieces, 3 nephews, 9 great-nephews and 8 great nieces. Those honored to be pallbearers are J.L. Paul, Jamie Bignar, Lanelle Masters, Chad Stevenson, Lee Stevenson, Charlie Pritchard, and Chuck Chevallier. Honorary pallbearers will be Wesley Otwell, Gregory Lacroix, and Emerson Sharp.