Jim is the one I remember most in my growing up days. He was two and a half years older than me and most of my childhood memories revolve around us doing most things together as children. We played in the fields and woods, walked to Ritta School through the fields and across the creek together, picked blackberries and played in the Reeser's corncrib and hay stacks. Mine and Jim's best friends were Grant and Carolynn Carr who lived just down the road from us and we spent many days at their house getting into lots of trouble. I don't remember Jim getting into quite as much trouble as some of my other brothers that I won't name at this time. We had a great childhood growing up. Jim also had a dog named Mickey.
Jim went to Ritta Elementary School from the first through the eighth grade and then to Central High School until his last year when he transferred to the newly built Holston High School where he was in the first graduating class of Holston. I started in the 9th grade the same year so we only had one year together in high school.
Jim always had a kind heart and one of my memories was when he was working at Kerns Bakery and he would get paid and would walk down to LeMarrs Store on Washington Pike and he would buy us some Coke A Colas and Snowball Cakes. That seems trivial in todays world but to us it was a big treat. Jim also loved to go to gospel singings with the family. It was one of the few things that we got to do as far as entertainment was concerned. My dad loved gospel music and we would go to the Mulls Singings at Chilhowee Park and then later to the Tennessee Theater and then to the Colosseum. Jim went to Highland Baptist Church and was probably saved there because he was a charter member of North Acres Baptist Church when it was built. He had many friends there including my future husband to be Carroll Chesney (AKA James), Bill Monday, Eddie Copeland just to name a few. I was friends with Jean Copeland so Jim and I spent a lot of time at the Copeland's house with Eddie and Jean. My then boyfriend Carroll and Jim went to Florida one year during the summer and Carroll came back home but Jim stayed for a while.
After graduating from Holston High the Vietnam War had broken out and our boys were being drafted. My brother Bill although younger than Jim was already in Vietnam when Jim was drafted and Bill signed up for another tour in Vietnam so Jim wouldn't have to go so Jim was sent instead to Korea to serve his time.
Jim worked at different places and traveled a lot. He ended up going to work for Southern Railroad and later worked for the Federal Railroad. We didn't see a lot of each other for several years as he was working in different states and he married and was raising a family and I was raising my family here in Knoxville. He was here when our mom was diagnosed with cancer and was able to go to church with all of our family on Mother's Day of that year. My mom always made Jim a French Coconut Pie when he would come home. We used to tell her he was her favorite. I guess Jim was more like our father in looks than the other brothers. He never seemed to get upset with anything. We took several pictures the year mom died and these are the last ones with his brothers and sisters.
My heart was broken when I found out Jim had cancer and not long to live. I was able to spend a little time with him before he died and he had a strong faith and trust in God that a better home awaited. This week is the 6 Year Anniversary of his death but one day we will meet again.
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