Children of Walter Pavy James, Sr. (1890-1959) of Huntington, Indiana and Anna Belle
Anderson (1888-1935):
1. Walter Pavy James, Jr: born May 13, 1923 in Saucier, Harrison County, Mississippi;
married Dorothy Arlene Wickham (born 1933 and still living), daughter of Warren Orrel
Wickham and Dorothy Pearl Reese; died September 9, 2009 (aged 86) in Acton, Los Angeles
County, California; buried at Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, Riverside County,
California; known children include: Kenneth Lee James, Vicki Lynn James and Wendy
Beth James.
2. Joseph D. James: born May 23, 1925 in Saucier, Harrison County, Mississippi;
died November 5, 1952 (aged 27) in San Jose, Santa Clara County, California; buried
at Oakwood Memorial Park, Chatsworth, Los Angeles County, California.
3. Anna Belle James: born April 27, 1930 in Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi;
married August 13, 1950 to Patrick Erskine Allen (1927-2016), son of Gordon Cecil
Allen Sr. and Ora Hattie Summers; died April 30, 2018 (aged 88) in Pensacola, Escambia
County, Florida; known children include: Katherine Elizabeth Allen, Margaret Louise
Allen, David James Allen and Michael Gordon Allen.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
Walter Pavy James, Sr. (1890-1959) was the son of David Ridgeway James (1847-1930)
of Greensboro Township, Henry County, Indiana and Elizabeth Alice Davis (1848-1921).
Walter Pavy James, Jr. (1923-2009) was a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army Air Corp during
World War II. Walter was a lead bombardier/navigator in a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber
and flew 26 missions based out of England. He came to California at age 16 with
a paternal uncle and his father, brother, sister, and aunt soon followed. His father,
sister, and aunt would later return to the south. Walter promoted car races across
the country and was the President of CRA (California Racing Association) for 21 years
before resigning to build Indian Dunes, a 600 acre motorcycle park in Saugus, California.
He remained active in the racing world until his death, including being an active
and founding member of the WRA (Western Racing Association.) He last ran his vintage
sprint car “race” at the young age of 86. He was inducted into the National Sprint
Car Hall of Fame and the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, among countless other
honors.
Joseph D. James (1925-1952) was raised in Southern California and began racing roadsters
with the CRA in 1947. He was a professional race car driver and died after sustaining
injuries in a crash while racing a champ car in San Jose, California. He was the
1952 AAA Sprint Car Champion of the Mid-West (the same year he was killed) and raced
the Indianapolis 500 several times finishing 13th in 1952. There is an annual race
called the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial that is still run in his honor in Salem,
Indiana. Joe was never married and had no children to our knowledge.
Sources:
Family Records of Wendy Beth Lovgren of Acton, California - daughter of Walter Pavy
James, Jr. (1923-2009).
Walter Pavy James, Jr. (1923-2009), Find A Grave Memorial, ID No. 72636287, by International
Wargraves Photography Project, added July 3, 2011.
Joseph D. James (1925-1952), Id., Memorial ID No. 54716516, by Don Tash, added July
9, 2010.
Photos:
Walter Pavy James, Jr. (1923-2009):
Joseph D. James (1925-1952):
Updated: July 24, 2020
