James M. Arledge of Weslaco, Texas, formerly of Burlington, passed away May 31, 2026, in Weslaco. He was born Oct. 24, 1947, to Arnold and Frances Arledge.
Jim attended Burlington High School, graduating in 1966. That same year, along with Tom Kindig, he won the state high school men's doubles tennis championship. He was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan. After graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Jim was sent to Vietnam after completing boot camp. He was honorably discharged after being injured.
Jim married Rebecca Ludwick in November 1972. They later divorced.
After returning from the service, Jim went to work driving a semi for Arledge Transfer. He continued to drive for the company until it was sold to CW Transport. Later, he worked for Yellow Freight in St. Louis, Missouri, and Dallas, Texas. He retired from over-the-road trucking after more than 30 years.
Those left to remember Jim are his children, Ken (Helen) Ludwick of Louisville, Ky., Jared (Robin) Arledge of Elizabeth, Ind., Jennifer (Jerry) Wilhelm of Danville, and Ben (Emily) Arledge of Whiteville, N.C.; his brother, John (Judy) Arledge of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Burlington; his grandchildren, Coleton Masterson, Caden Boyles, Ryan Wilhelm, Britney Griffen, Christina Ludwick, and Daniel, David and Landy Morrall; and his nephews, Mark Fleming and Jeff (Nancy) Jacobs.
He was preceded in death by his parents; grandparents, James G. and Mary Arledge and Etta Moorman; his sisters, JoAnn Arias and Judy Jacobs; his brother-in-law, James Jacobs; and his grandson, Nicholas Ludwick.
There will be no services, per Jim's wishes. Cremation was entrusted to Heavenly Grace Funeral Home in La Feria, Texas.