Cindy Ann Davenport Eulogy
Cindy’s mother, LaMona Bascom James Newren, once said she had plans to raise a family and wanted a beautiful girl with dark hair and dark eyes. Cindy Ann James was born on April 14th, 1949, in Magrath, Alberta, Canada with exactly that, dark hair, dark eyes and was beautiful. She was 5 weeks early and only 5 lbs. 12 oz., but healthy. The cost of having a baby in the Magrath hospital cost her father Henry Lowell James $25, and that’s including an 8-day stay for LaMona and Cindy. That’s approximately $337 today, adjusting for 76 years of inflation.
Cindy was 2-1/2 years old when her little brother Tracy was born. They lived with Lowell’s parents so they could save money to move to California and earn more working with LaMona’s brothers plastering houses. With a toddler and newborn baby, the James’s boarded a Greyhound bus to California. What they didn’t expect, was being stopped at the border because they couldn’t take their two children into the United States without a passport and visa. After what must have been a very hard decision, Lowell and LaMona decided to leave their children with Lowell’s parents thinking it would only take a month for all paperwork to be finalized. It ended up taking 6 months for Cindy and Tracy to finally be reunited with their parents in South Gate, California outside of Los Angeles. I assume, during that time with her grandparents, Cindy learned the phrase, “Keep sticking your lip out like that and a bird will poop on it” . . A phrase she used often for each of her 6 children as she became a mother.
In 1954, the James family moved to a brand-new home in Ontario, California. When Cindy was about 9 years old, her sister Karey was born. As a testament to Cindy’s patience, she had to show forgiveness after Karey opened one of her Barbie’s, and you never opened the packaging of a Barbie in those days. She must have learned her patience from her father after she hit a rock and dropped the oil pan out of their Olds 88 on her way to a church meeting with Tracy. They called their dad in fear to come help and in a calm voice, he just asked, "How did you do it?" I think that gentle kindness, and loving demeanor helped shape who Cindy would be for the rest of her life.
Cindy was a very good student in school achieving excellent grades, and at times was hard on herself for missing one question on a test. She was always determined to do better, and can be quoted saying, “I will try harder to achieve the goals I have set.” She received several academic accolades and recognitions. She acted in school plays and enjoyed playing the cello in both junior high and high school.
Beyond academics, Cindy was a very active young lady, enjoying any sport she could participate in. She was a member of the Girls Athletic Association (GAA). She enjoyed playing basketball for her school, field hockey, softball, tetherball, and especially volleyball. If you knew Cindy, she absolutely loved volleyball. She continued playing and officiating throughout most of her life.
Cindy also loved the outdoors. She participated in many girl’s camps at Big Bear and even gained the nickname “Lizard”, because she loved sunbathing on the rocks and chance she could. Being a bronze-skinned girl from southern California, she loved spending time at the beach almost every week. She continued her love for the outdoors throughout her whole life, enjoying camping trips, weekend drives through the mountains with her family, and birding with her husband.
While Cindy was finishing up high school, she met a young missionary named Lynn Davenport. The James family was very active in their church and loved supporting the missionaries. This is how Cindy and Lynn met. Lynn admitted that Cindy didn’t much care for him at first, but there clearly must have been a spark, because Cindy continued to write Lynn after they parted ways.
When Cindy was 17, she left southern California to go to BYU in Provo, Utah. While going to college she reconnected with Lynn who was also going to school there, and they started a relationship with one another. Lynn will say that his GPA dropped after they started dating, because Cindy would convince him to load up in his Volkswagen Beetle on a Friday after school and drive her down to California. They would drive back to BYU on Sunday afternoons, and Lynn would drive all night to make Monday morning classes. It didn’t take long, and Lynn proposed to Cindy.
Cindy and Lynn were married June 8, 1968, in the Los Angelas temple. They packed up their belongings in Lynn’s little Volkswagen and left southern California for their honeymoon. They made a few stops going north, but their destination was an interesting one. Lynn had acquired a job with the forest service in a fire lookout tower by Prairie City, Oregon. Cindy and Lynn quickly learned what being married meant, both good and bad, by spending several weeks in isolation in the middle of a forest on top of a tower. They experienced real forest fires caused by lightning strikes including a strike that even hit their own tower. The poor logging truck drivers had to endure Cindy’s rally car prowess in that little Volkswagen on those forest service roads. Lynn learned of Cindy’s deep fear of anything that moved in the forest, even the dangerous chipmunks.
After their honeymoon, Cindy and Lynn went back to BYU. They were soon blessed with their first Daughter Rebecca, in May 1970. During that time, they decided to move to Caldwell, Idaho and focus on their new family. Their first and only son, Robert was born in November 1973, followed by their second daughter Melissa in December 1976. The family moved to Nampa in 1978. Their third daughter Jessica was born in February 1979, followed by their fourth daughter Sara in August 1982, and finally their last and, call me biased but, best daughter Dessa in May 1986. Eight years later in 1994, the family then moved to Vernal, Utah, but eventually found their way back to the Nampa/Caldwell area late 1996 where Cindy would live out her remaining years.
Cindy’s family was her most valuable treasure. She was a very devoted and incredibly loving wife and mother. She was her children’s fiercest advocate, taking very little time and absolutely no glory for herself. While she was so proud of her family, she was also very humble and thankful for each of them. She encouraged and supported all her children’s activities and became their most enthusiastic cheerleader.
Cindy worked tirelessly to support her family. She did whatever she could, which included clothing sales and babysitting, amongst other things throughout the years. She was a staple in the local school system as a substitute teacher and serving as an administrative assistant at several elementary schools before retiring from South Middle School in 2021. Cindy truly loved each of the students, their families and co workers that she served in the schools.
Cindy was perhaps most recognized on the court following her love of volleyball. She spent almost 40 years officiating, earning a reputation for fairness and excellence that was respected across Idaho and neighboring states. She was never afraid to red card a coach, because she would chose doing what was right over what was easy. No matter what road block was in her way, she was always happy. This happiness gave calmness to other new officials. Everyone loved having Cindy as a partner. She treated everyone the same, regardless of experience. She probably never realized how much she taught officials—both on and off the court—through her example and her light.
Cindy was a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in numerous leadership roles, including Primary, Young Women’s, and Relief Society President. Her heart belonged most to the Young Women’s program, and the weeks spent at Girls Camp to share her love of the outdoors with others. To many, she was the beloved “Sister Friendly.” She devoted her life to selfless acts of kindness that seemed to happen with no effort. It’s just who she was. A true reflection of Christ’s character.
Some people are born in this life letting challenges and struggles get them down, this was not Cindy. After her retirement, she was unfortunately diagnosed with dementia. Instead of dwelling on her diagnosis, she chose humor. She laughed at her disease and laughed at her mistakes. She made it okay for all of us to laugh with her as we walked through it together. She brought joy even in the darkest hours of her life. Cindy passed away in her home with family by her side this January 12.
It was a true honor knowing Cindy. She created a lasting legacy, not just through her posterity. Her legacy is the example she set for all of us to cary on through the highs and lows that life offers. You would be hard pressed to remember a time Cindy ever spoke a harsh word, was unkind, disrespectful, or even selfish. She showed love, respect, care, patience, and selflessness to those of us lucky enough to know her. She will always be remembered by the smile on her face, her sparkling brown eyes, her soft voice, her contagious laugh, and her need to dance at the sound a familiar tune. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, a student, an athlete, an official, a best friend, and a true gift from God.
John 1:12 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Cindy will always be a daughter in the house of God. Cindy, we love you and will always remember you.
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