James Family Archives

 

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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, Section 58A, Grave 554 in 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. (1898-1968) and Ora Hattie Summers (1892-1972); died April 30, 2018 (aged 88) in Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida; internment entrusted to Rose Lawn Funeral Home & Cemetery of Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa County, Florida; known children include: Katherine Elizabeth Allen, Margaret Louise Allen, David James Allen and Michael Gordon Allen.

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Biographic 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.

 

Obituary of Anna Belle James Allen (1930-2018), published in Pensacola News Journal on May 13, 2018: “AnnaBelle Allen of Gulf Breeze passed away on April 30, 2018 at the age of 88. She was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, the third child of Walter Pavy James and AnnaBelle Anderson James. AnnaBelle graduated from Long Beach High and Perkinston Junior College in Mississippi. She married Patrick E. Allen in 1950 and worked at LSU while Pat completed his degree. They settled in Gulf Breeze in 1958 to raise their family, and she resided in the family home for nearly sixty years. She was active in her church as an elder, Life member of Presbyterian Women, Sunday School Teacher, youth leader, choir member, and more. She was a substitute teacher at Gulf Breeze Elementary School in the 1960's and later worked at the Dodge Plan Room for several years. She loved God, family, golf, traveling, and serving others. Family and friends will remember her generosity, sharp sense of humor, and open and opinionated nature. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Walter James, Jr., and Joseph James, and her husband, Pat, of 66 years. She is survived by her children Katherine Asbury (Harry), Margaret Bryan (Lloyd), David Allen, and Judge Michael Allen (Pamela), grandchildren Benjamin Carruth (Kimberly), Daniel Carruth (Jenny), Rebecca Chapman (Kenneth), Jennifer Lopez (Jaime), Edward Asbury, Matthew Kimmel (Katie), Jennifer, Jessica, Jamie, and Julia Allen, Dr. Hannah Allen-Ulmer (Kyle), Dr. Leah Allen Stem (Chris), and Naomi Allen, and great-grandchildren Penelope, Caroline, Lorelei, Patrick, Ethan, Jacob, and Elizabeth Carruth, Levi Chapman, Bethany Butler, Logan Lopez, and Malcolm Kimmel.

 

Obituary of Patrick Erskine Allen (1927-2016), published in Pensacola News Journal on June 5, 2016: “Patrick E. Allen of Gulf Breeze, FL died May 29, 2016 at the age of 88. He was born in Gulfport, MS, and grew up in Long Beach, MS. Pat served in the U.S. Army, in occupied Japan after high school, attended Perkinston Junior College and graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Pat married Anna Belle James in August 1950. He worked for Olin-Matheson Chemicals in New York for three years before moving to Pensacola to work at Chemstrand Corp. in 1955. The family moved to Gulf Breeze in 1958 to the home where they lived for nearly 58 years. He retired from Monsanto in 1985 and did consulting work for several years. Pat loved to travel and circumnavigated the globe in 1994. He was involved with the Gulf Breeze Sports Association, Midway Water System, Hickory Shores HOA, and Santa Rosa Industrial Development Board. He was an elder at Gulf Breeze Presbyterian Church and served in many different capacities during his 57 year membership, with special fondness for the Tuesday Men’s Fix-It Group. Pat and Anna Belle led several youth hikes on the Appalachian Trial and participated in numerous mission trips throughout Central America and the Caribbean Islands. Pat was preceded in death by his father, Gordon C. Allen, mother, Ora Summers Allen, and brother, Gordon C. Allen, Jr. He is survived by his wife of nearly 66 years, AnnaBelle Allen; children: Kathy Asbury (Harry), Margie Bryan (Lloyd), David Allen, Michael Allen (Pam); grandchildren: Ben Carruth (Kim), Dan Carruth (Jenny), Rebecca Chapman (Kenneth), Jennifer Lopez (Jaime), Edward Asbury, Matt Kimmel (Katie), Jennifer Allen, Jessica Allen, Jamie Allen, Julia Allen, Dr. Hannah Allen-Ulmer (Kyle), Dr. Leah Allen, Naomi Allen; and great-grandchildren: Penelope, Caroline, Lorelei, Ethan, Jacob, and Elizabeth Carruth, Malcolm Kimmel, Bethany Butler, and Logan Lopez.”

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Sources:

 

Family Records of Wendy Beth Lovgren of Acton, California - daughter of Walter Pavy James, Jr. (1923-2009).

 

Tribute to Walt James on Wags Web, dated July 17, 2017.

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Virtual Memorials on “Find A Grave” Website:

 

Walter Pavy James, Jr. (1923-2009), Memorial ID No. 72636287, by Inter’l Wargraves Photo Project, added July 3, 2011.

 

Joseph D. James (1925-1952), Memorial ID No. 54716516, by Don Tash, added July 9, 2010.

 

Anna Belle James Allen (1930-2018), Memorial ID No. 281373758, by James Family Archives, added April 6, 2025.

 

Patrick Erskine Allen (1927-2016), Memorial ID No. 163786373, by Earth Angel, added June 2, 2016.

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Photographs:

Walter Pavy James, Jr. (1923-2009):

 

 

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.

 

Walt James Stadium at Willow Springs International Raceway, founded in 1953, at 3500 75th Street West in Rosamond, California is a 3/8-mile, high-banked dirt oval track with no walls for fully race-prepared cars only and available for rental.

 

Joseph D. James (1925-1952):

 

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.

 

Patrick Erskine Allen (1927-2016) and Anna Belle James Allen (1930-2018)

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Updated: April 6, 2025