James Family Archives

 

•  Researching the Past

•  Education for the Present

•  Preservation for the Future

 

Children of Alfred “Ab” Clark James (1870-1936) and Cammie Racheline George (1877-1965) of Franklin County, Alabama:

 

1.    Daniel Arthur James:  born July 26, 1892 in Franklin County, Alabama; married March 1918 in Lee County, Mississippi to Nellie Lucille Hall (1897-1995), daughter of Mell Singleton Hall (1855-1944) and Ida Catherine Burrow (1867-1916); died November 4, 1970 (aged 78) in Tupelo, Lee County, Mississippi; buried at Lee Memorial Park in Verona, Lee County, Mississippi; known children include: Mary Louise James (1926-1988).

 

2.    Lula Modena James:  born December 16, 1893 in Franklin County, Alabama; married January 27, 1919, in Lee, Mississippi to William Bonnie Peterson (1889-1951), son of Daniel Foster Peterson (1852-1911) and Cynthia Marinda Akins (1855-1924); died April 15, 1932 (aged 38) in Alabama; buried at Euclatubba Baptist Church Cemetery, Saltillo, Lee County, Mississippi.

 

3.    Joe Clark James:  born August 6, 1896 in Franklin County, Alabama; married 1929 in Tennessee to Elizabeth Geneva “Bess” Crowder (1902-1996); died August 31, 1985 (age 89), of heart trouble at the Veterans Hospital in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee; buried at Belmont Memorial Gardens, Belmont, Tishomingo County, Mississippi; known children include: Joe Mitchell James (Family Tree DNA Kit No. 40303) and Betty Jean James.

 

4.    Robert “Rob” A. James:  born November 7, 1898 in Alabama; married Estain Clyde Davis (1897-1991); died October 8, 1948  (aged 49); buried at Ridge Cemetery, Itawamba County, Mississippi; known children include:  Jesse James and Frank James.

 

5.    John Earl James:  born July 5, 1902; married Kate Mae Burks (1905-1990), daughter of Harrison L. Burks (1879-1975) and Louella Covington (1880-1961); died September 14, 1967 (aged 65) in Red Bay, Franklin County, Alabama; buried at Belmont Memorial Gardens, Belmont, Tishomingo County, Mississippi; known children include: Helen Jo James, Sidney Earl James and Clara Mae James.

 

6.    Lela Burton James:  born May 8, 1904; married Lee Hoyle Easterling (1904-1973), son of Isom Franklin Easterling (1880-1936) and Annette McMullin Denson (1889-1978); died February 1989 (aged 84); buried at Drew Cemetery, Drew, Sunflower County, Mississippi; known children include: James H. Easterling, Charles R. Easterling and Lawrence Alfred Easterling.

 

7.    Claudius Eugene James:  born July 14, 1906 in Saltillo, Lee County, Mississippi; married in 1934 in Mississippi to Rozzie Lee Ginn (1914-1997), daughter of John Thomas Edgar Ginn (1883-1966) and Mary Zula Murphree (1888-1936); died June 18, 1995 (aged 88) at Red Bay Hospital in Red Bay, Franklin County, Alabama; buried at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, Red Bay, Franklin County, Alabama; known children include: Reman Eugene James, Virginia Lou James, Bobby Wayne James, Eddie Ray James, Paul Howard James and Virginia Lou James.

 

8.    Edna Lucille “Peg” James:  born March 28, 1908; married Wilmer Leeroy Thrasher (1930-1982); died March 26, 1968 (aged 59); buried at Belmont Memorial Gardens, Belmont, Tishomingo County, Mississippi; known children include: Aldean Thrasher.

 

9.    Bonnie Mae James:  born April 9, 1911 in Saltillo, Lee County, Mississippi; married June 27, 1931 to Elias Rogers “E.R.” Warren (1898-1989), son of Robert Jefferson Warren (1866-1912) and Anna Eliza Googe (1871-1943); died April 25, 2009 (aged 98) in Golden, Tishomingo County, Mississippi; buried at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, Red Bay, Franklin County, Alabama; known children include: Katheryn Janet Warren and Peggy Warren.

 

10.  Alice Beatrice “Bea” James:  born August 12, 1913; married Verlon C. Ginn (1905-1936), son of John Thomas Edgar Ginn (1883-1966) and Mary Zula Murphree (1888-1936; died May 9, 1989 (aged 75) in Tishomingo County, Mississippi; buried at Belmont Memorial Gardens, Belmont, Tishomingo County, Mississippi; known children include: Carlos Edward Ginn and Joe Freddy Ginn.

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Biographic Notes:

 

Alfred “Ab” Clark James (1836-1917) was the son of Elias Walter James (1836-1917) and Cynthia McGary Richardson (1847-1915) of Franklin County, Alabama.

 

Autobiography of Joe Clark James (1896-1985) written in 1917 at age 21:  

 

       “I was born in Franklin County, Alabama, eight miles southeast of Red Bay. [Born 6 Aug 1896]  My parents were poor yet we were happy and content with our lot. My birthplace was a one room log cabin in the well known Freedom Hills. It was located at the foot of a mountain which broke into a beautiful plain in order to give space for the big Cedar Creek that carried the water from the many hills and springs to the Alabama River. This home was near that of grandmother [Cynthia James, nee Richardson] and grandfather [Elias James].  

 

       When I was small it was my greatest delight to go to their home and get her [grandmother] to go fishing with me. A great part of my time was spent with her. When we were not fishing or playing, I would go out and help grandfather make boards. [Note: His grandfather, Elias James was conscripted in the Confederate Cavalry, Co E 4th Alabama “Roddey’s” Cavalry and served until severely wounded Dec 24, 1864. He passed away 24 Jan 1917].

 

      When quiet young I was taken from these pleasures: the rocky hills and mountains, the clear flowing springs, the mountain breeze, my mountain home, and brought to Union County, Mississippi.  At this time papa owned a one horse wagon, a cow, and an old gray mule. We settled down on a little place; papa sold his mule and wagon and made three crops on halves.  He then bought a horse and managed to pay for it. After this we moved to Lee County where we have gained through labor what little property we now possess. [Joe’s father was Alfred Clark “Ab” James].

 

      Although I was not a good boy, I never cared to leave my mother [Cammie Racheline James, nee George] and follow other boys off and get into trouble. You could not call me a George Washington, however, because I can and have told lies. When Saturday would come the time for papa to go to the mill and town, I did not do like most boys now do and like my brothers did, go to town with papa, but stayed at home and did all that I could to help mother and sister in their work.

 

      Being raised on the farm and having spent a greater part of my time in the open air and taking plenty of exercise in work, I developed a healthy body. I have never been sick enough to need a physician.

 

      My parents were and are yet uneducated. They realized the need of an education and have not failed to spare time nor means for educating their children. I remember very definitely my first teacher, a Mr. Hugh McGill. He was very kind to all the pupils and would very often invite us to his home to a picnic or a play. He was so good and kind to us that it seemed as if were only a pupil with us and not a teacher. The method which he used in teaching reading was not the modern method, yet, in some way I learned to read.

 

      I think that I must have been somewhat odd from most other boys, in that I have always loved to go to school, yet I must admit that I know just how to be late and miss a hard arithmetic, but that method has never known to simplify a problem. It has been my motto, since I came to realize the necessity of an education, to be in school every day.  I was in rural free schools until I reached the age of fourteen; when papa bought a farm, one mile from town, and moved on it. Then I attended high school there until I came to the Mississippi Normal College. I spent the 1915-16 session here, taught school last winter, entered school here again, March the eleventh of this year, and mean to stay through the summer term.  After I complete here, I mean to take a course in law at the University of Mississippi.

 

       As I am not very good on reading futures, I will end my autobiography. The End.”

 

[Note: This was written sometime in 1917. With the entry of the U.S. in World War I, Joe C. James, would soon become educated by the U.S. Navy at the Harvard Radio School, learning wireless telegraph code. He then served as a radioman onboard the U.S.S. Mississippi and U.S.S. Idaho. After the war, he would work as a radioman on commercial barge lines for tugboats on the Mississippi River. He would marry in Memphis, Tennessee to Bess Geneva Crowder. They would relocate to Minnesota for a short time before moving to St. Louis, Missouri where Joe would work as a radio engineer at WIL radio. He and Bess had two children: Joe Mitchell and Betty Jean. On retirement Joe and Bess James built a new home in Lee County, Mississippi. Joe continued his interest in code/voice radio as a HAM radio operator (W5NDO) and kept connected with his old ship mates that lived around the world. Joe C. James died 31 Aug 1985.]

 

(Notes in brackets have been added by grandson, Scott K. Williams.)

 

Claudius Eugene James was born July 14, 1906 in Saltillo, Lee County, Mississippi to Alfred “Ab” Clark James (1870-1936) and Cammie Racheline George (1877-1965) of Franklin County, Alabama. In 1934, Claudius married Rozzie Lee Ginn (1914-1997), daughter of John Thomas Edgar Ginn (1883-1966) and Mary Zula Murphree (1888-1936). Claudius died June 18, 1995 (aged 88) at Red Bay Hospital in Red Bay, Franklin County, Alabama and is buried at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Red Bay, Franklin County, Alabama. His known children include: Reman Eugene James, Virginia Lou James, Bobby Wayne James, Eddie Ray James, Paul Howard James and Virginia Lou James. According to his obituary published on June 22, 1995, in the Tishomingo County News, Claudius died on a Sunday. He was a retired employee of Sunshine Mills after 18 years and a member of the of Golden Chapel United Methodist Church. His funeral services were held at Deaton Funeral Home Chapel in Belmont with Dr. Ralph Culp and the Rev. Jerry Ginn officiating. His survivors included his wife, Rozzie James of Golden; one son, Bill James of Golden; one sister, Bonnie Mae Warren of Golden; 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by three sons, Bobby Wayne, Eddie Ray and Paul Howard James. Pallbearers were Herman Hutcheson, Arthur Patterson, Davy Ginn, Dudley Strickland, Joe Strickland, Robert C. James, Harmon Ginn and Harold Ginn.

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Sources:

 

See, Information on the children of Alfred “Ab” Clark James (1836-1917) contributed by Scott K. Williams.

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Virtual Memorials on “Find A Grave” Website:

 

Daniel Arthur James (1892-1970), Memorial ID No. 44376996, by Preston Malone, added Nov. 15, 2009.

 

Nellie Lucille Hall James (1897-1995), Memorial ID No. 114106589, by Tim Prestage, added July 20, 2013.

 

Lula Modena James Peterson (1893-1932), Memorial ID No. 44429375, by Preston Malone, added November 16, 2009.

 

William Bonnie Peterson (1889-1951), Memorial ID No. 60664021, by Wilton Golson, added October 26, 2010.

 

Joe Clark James (1896-1985), Memorial ID No. 26041293, by Preston Malone, added April 15, 2008.

 

Elizabeth Geneva Crowder James (1902-1996), Memorial ID No. 26064147, by Preston Malone, added April 16, 2008.

 

Robert A. James (1898-1948), Memorial ID No. 44429522, by Preston Malone, added November 16, 2009.

 

Estain Clyde Davis James (1897-1991), Memorial ID No. 44429612, by Preston Malone, added November 16, 2009.

 

John Earl James (1902-1967), Memorial ID No. 26041423, by Preston Malone, added April 15, 2008.

 

Kate Mae Burks James (1905-1990), Memorial ID No. 26041457, by Preston Malone, added April 15, 2008.

 

Lela Burton James Easterling (1904-1989), Memorial ID No. 44426331, by Preston Malone, added November 16, 2009.

 

Lee Hoyle Easterling (1904-1973), Memorial ID No. 77495561, by Preston Malone, added October 2, 2011.

 

Claudius Eugene James (1906-1995), Memorial ID No. 44041369, by Preston Malone, added November 7, 2009.

 

Rozzie Lee Ginn James (1914-1997), Memorial ID No. 44041632, by Preston Malone, added November 7, 2009.

 

Edna Lucille James Thrasher (1908-1968), Memorial ID No. 26060305, by Preston Malone, added April 16, 2008.

 

Wilmer Leeroy Thrasher (1897-1986), Memorial ID No. 26060230, by Preston Malone, added April 16, 2008.

 

Bonnie Mae James Warren (1911-2009), Memorial ID No. 36384419, by Preston Malone, added April 26, 2009.

 

Elias Rogers "E. R." Warren (1907-1989), Memorial ID No. 36393344, by Preston Malone, added April 26, 2009.

 

Alice Beatrice James Ginn (1913-1989), Memorial ID No. 34692350, by Preston Malone, added March 11, 2009.

 

Verlon C. Ginn (1905-1969), Memorial ID No. 26039772, by Preston Malone, added April 15, 2008.

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Photographs:

Daniel Arthur James (1892-1970) and Lula Modena James (1893-1932)

 

Joe Clark James (1896-1985) headed off to World War I.

 

Joe Clark James (1896-1985) and Robert A. James (1898-1948)

 

Rozzie Lee Ginn James (1914-1997) and Claudius Eugene James (1906-1995).

 

Edna Lucille “Peg” James (1908-1968), Bonnie Mae James (1911-2009), and Alice Beatrice “Bea” James (1913-1989)

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Updated: January 10, 2025