EMPIRE — James "Pete" Hall Stone, 93, of Empire, passed away at Sunrise Assisted Living in Rochester on March 21, 2012. James was born on Nov. 29, 1918, in Benton, Ky., to the late William Hampton and Cora Ann (Cole) Stone. On July 25, 1939, James married Wilma Thweatt in South Fulton, Tenn. James honorably served our country as a member of the United States Army. He enlisted in 1944 and served in the Asiatic Pacific Theater until he was honorably discharged in October of 1946. James and Wilma moved to Ferndale in 1947 and lived there for 33 years. James worked for 37 years at General Motors before retiring in 1980 and moving to their retirement home on Glen Lake.James was a member of the VFW Post #2780, the Empire Baptist Church and the Cherryland Baptist Church in Traverse City. James is survived by his wife of 72 years, Wilma; his son, John (Judy) Stone, of Rochester; son, Terry (Cheryl) Stone, of Madison Heights; daughter, Jill (Kurt) Kluge, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and sister, Linda Wray. James was preceded in death by his brothers, Barney, Wilson, Delbert and Wesley; and sisters, Pauline English, Charlene Wainman and Magdalene Wood. The funeral celebrating James' life will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2012, at 2 p.m., with visitation beginning at 1 p.m., at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery in Empire, where James will receive military honors from VFW Post #2780. Memorial contributions in memory of James may be directed to the Alzheimer's Association, Munson Hospice or a charity of your choice. Please visit www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com to share your thoughts and memories with the family. The family is being served by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home.