James Sloan Everett Jr., of Breckenridge, was called to his eternal home on Monday evening, March 6, 2017, alive in Christ. He died trying to protect his cattle and the lives of those with him from a Texas Panhandle wildfire. He was 35. Sloan was born in Abilene, on Sept. 8, 1981 and grew up in Breckenridge. He graduated from Breckenridge High School with honors in 2000 and went on to attend Baylor University, graduating magna cum laude in 2004 with a bachelor of business administration degree, double majoring in finance and entrepreneurship. In 2005, he went to work for ConocoPhillips in Bartlesville, Okla., where he had the opportunity to travel to many countries, including Canada, Costa Rica, Norway, Russia, Peru and Indonesia. He moved to Dallas in 2007 to work for Hunt Oil Company, during which time he met Liesl Austin. They married in July 2011 on the Franklin Ranch near Amarillo. Sloan and Liesl moved to Breckenridge in 2012, and Sloan began his lifelong goal and dream, and that of his father’s, of working on the family ranch. They had two children in the years following: Scarlett Austin Everett, born in 2013, and Samuel Sloan Everett, born in 2015. The couple’s third child is expected in August of this year. Sloan was a devoted Christian and a loving husband, father brother and son. Those who knew him will always remember his fun-loving nature, boyish smile, playful mischievousness and a radical commitment to excellence in everything to which he put his hand. He was a tremendous athlete and a natural leader – a man among men. In recent years, Sloan was very active in the student ministry of the First Baptist Church of Breckenridge, volunteering much time and effort to their spiritual development. He truly pointed all who came within his realm of influence, both personally and professionally, to the cross of Christ and the hope of the gospel. He enjoyed music and had an uncanny ability to recall just about every lyric he ever heard. He loved his ranch work and the wide-open spaces of Texas. Sloan’s strong ambition, hard work ethic, and management and leadership skills soon made him indispensable to his father on the ranch. He had a heart for others and quickly began forging friendships among the many people he met in the cattle business. He loved, appreciated and always sought to learn from two long-time employees of the ranch, Dewey Woodward and J.M. “Big Boy” Mercer, and their families. Sloan was preceded in death by his grandparents, Jenny Sloan Stanley, of Breckenridge; and Carl B. Everett Jr., of Dallas. Sloan was blessed with a beautiful family and is survived by his wife, Liesl, his daughter Scarlett, his son Samuel, and a beautiful third baby on the way; his parents, Jim and Teresa Everett of Breckenridge; his sisters and brothers-in-law, Sarah and Jason Fowler of Fort Worth; Katharine and Toby Meuli of Los Angeles; Caroline and Luke Jurgensen of Carrollton; Rebecca Everett of College Station; and Elizabeth Everett of Nashville; grandparents Patrick and Drucella Thompson of Breckenridge; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and a multitude of friends who will forever remember their times with Sloan. Sloan will be dearly missed by all, but do not grieve as those who are without hope. Christ said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26 Sloan was a believer. A burial service was held at the Franklin Ranch on March 9 and a memorial service honoring Sloan’s life was held at First Baptist Church, Breckenridge on March 11. The family requests that any donations be made to the Building Fund of First Baptist Church, Breckenridge.