Children of Edward Newman James (1901-1982) and Ira Belle Denton (1902-2001) of Alabama:
1. Dr. Jesse Clopton James: born February 29, 1924 in Lauderdale County, Alabama;
married September 27, 1947 in Jemison, Chilton County, Alabama to Barbara Brown Hayman;
died April 11, 2019 (aged 95) in Madison County, Alabama; buried at Rock Creek Cemetery
in Colbert County, Alabama; known children include: Jeb Stuart James, Jerry Hayman
James, Emily Caroline James, and Barbara Kate James.
2. Vera Viola James: born December 19, 1925 in Lauderdale County, Alabama; married
Grady Holt; died October 17, 2017 (aged 91) in Saint Peters, St. Charles County,
Missouri; buried at Greenview Memorial Gardens, Forest Hills, Lauderdale County,
Alabama; known children include: Jesse Hammond, Daniel Hammond, Nancy Holt and Margaret
Holt.
3. Malcolm Wallace James: born May 9, 1928 in Florence, Lauderdale County, Alabama;
married Jessie Joyce Barnes (1930-2000), daughter of William Louis Barnes and Isa
Belzora Butler; died May 18, 2017 (aged 89) in Georgia; buried at Byron City Cemetery,
Byron, Peach County, Georgia; known children include: Edward Louis James (Family
Tree DNA Kit No. 750520), Rebecca Ann James and Jonathan David James.
4. Dr. Bryson Lemoine James: born September 12, 1930 in Florence, Lauderdale County
Alabama; first marriage to Anna Marie; second marriage July 6, 1991 to Frances Pedigo;
died April 29, 2017 (aged 86) in Sparta, White County, Tennessee; buried at Gardens
of Memory Cemetery, McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee; known children include:
Edward Michael James.
5. Edward Ira James: born November 28, 1938 in Florence, Lauderdale County, Alabama;
married Pauline; died December 27, 2009 (aged 71) in Peach County, Georgia; buried
at Byron City Cemetery, Byron, Peach County, Georgia; known children include: Doug
James, Dennis James and Jayna James.
6. Graham Farris James:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
Edward Newman James (1901-1982) was the son of Andrew Jackson James (1844-1902) and
Martha Ann Britnell of Franklin County, Alabama.
Dr. Jesse Clopton James (1924-2019) grew up in the East Florence community of Sweetwater,
Alabama where in high school he worked at the local fertilizer plant for 15 cents
an hour. He recalled, however, that the hardest work he ever did was in his mother’s
large garden where he also fed the hogs, milked the cow, and on Saturdays drew water
by hand out of the 104-foot well. Jesse, or Clopton as his family called him, graduated
from Florence’s Coffee High School in 1941. He served in the Army Air Corps at the
onset of WWII. While training to be a fighter pilot, he developed a serious illness,
was hospitalized for months, and was honorably discharged. Jesse attended Auburn
University, earning BS degrees in electrical engineering in 1945 and in engineering
physics in 1946. On September 27, 1947, Jesse Clopton married the love of his life,
Barbara Brown Hayman in Jemison, Alabama. Together they were blessed with four children:
Jeb Stuart, Jerry Hayman, Emily Caroline, and Barbara Kate. Jesse received MA degree
in nuclear physics in 1950 from Rice University and a PhD in electrical engineering
and physics in 1958 at Georgia Tech. During these years, he worked for Southern Research
Institute in many areas of analysis, design, and experimental fieldwork, as well
as for the US Navy and Army. Following graduation from Georgia Tech, he moved the
family to Lexington, Massachusetts to join MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory. In 1961, MIT
moved the James family to El Campo, Texas, where for nine years Jesse’s research
group did ground breaking study of Venus, Mars and the sun. In the 1960’s, he was
the first to discover liquid water below the surface of Mars using radio waves. In
1970, MIT sent the James family to Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands where Jesse
helped develop the government’s anti-ballistic missile system. While on Kwajalein,
he became an accomplished scuba diver and sailor, once sailing solo hundreds of miles
across open ocean in a small boat to visit isolated islands. Following years in the
development of our nation’s defense with MIT, McDonnell Douglas, and Teldyne Brown
Engineering, he managed the Harvard Radio Astronomy Station near Fort Davis, Texas.
Jesse wrote many chapters for technical books and authored 22 papers in scientific
journals. He holds 12 patents plus another invention involving a stealth technique
for planes and missiles for which a patent cannot be issued due to security classification.
He finally retired at the age of 82, but continued to work at tree farming and woodworking,
with (many family and friends enjoying fine furniture pieces lovingly created by
him). He did extensive family tree research before the age of the internet, visiting
countless courthouse records and graveyards to write many volumes on the family tree.
At 92, he authored and published ‘The Bible: Two Proofs and Two Mis-Translations”
in which he argued for his strong belief that the Bible and proved science agree.
Malcolm Wallace James (1928-2017) - After attending college he went to work as a
superintendent at a fertilizer plant which he did for many years. Mr. James was a
jack of all trades and loved to build and work with his tools. He was known for building
houses, barns, and shops. He had a great sense of humor and loved cutting up with
friends and family. He was a devout Christian and a faithful member of Church of
Christ Hartley Bridge Road.
Dr. Bryson Lemoine James (1930-2017) was a former Professor of Horticulture at the
University of North Carolina, former Director of Horticultural Research at the University
of Florida and after moving to McMinnville, he became a Consulting Horticulturist
with the nursery industry and many other clients. He volunteered as Director of Horticultural
Research for the Southern Nursery Association and directed it's Annual Research Conference
for thirty-seven years. He was the son of the late Edward Newman and Ira Belle Denton
James, a member of Christ Family Church and veteran of the United States Air Force.
Edward Ira James (1938-2009) was a graduate of Auburn University School of Forestry.
He was a board member of Middle Georgia Christian School, a member of Thomaston Road
Church of Christ, and a successful farmer & nurseryman for 43 years
Sources:
Family Records of Sandra and Edward Louis James.
Obituary of Dr. Bryson Lemoine James (1930-2017) published by High Funeral Home,
101 College St.
McMinnville, Tennessee 37110.
Dr. Jesse Clopton James (1924-2019), Find A Grave Memorial, ID No. 198313654, by
Reva Bradford, added April 13, 2019.
Vera Viola (James) Holt (1925-2017), Id., Memorial, ID No. 184763659, by Joy Favors,
added October 29, 2017.
Malcolm Wallace James (1928-2017), Id., Memorial ID No. 179513517, by Loree Beacham,
added May 19, 2017.
Dr. Bryson Lemoine James (1930-2017), Id., Memorial ID No. 178903574, by “KTS”, added
April 30, 2017.
Edward Ira James (1938-2009), Id., Memorial ID No. 60280780, by Ms. Clyde, added
October 18, 2010.
Photos:.
Dr. Jesse Clopton James (1924-2019)
Malcolm Wallace James (1928-2017)
Dr. Bryson Lemoine James (1930-2017)
Edward Ira James (1938-2009)
Updated: December 3`, 2020
