A Short History of the Life of Abe James

 Abe James was born on March 20, 1896 at Colonial Diez (sic), Chihuahua, Mexico.  His parents were Joseph James and Mary Eliza Bloomfield James.  His parents had gone to Mexico as colonizers for the church.

 He came to the states at the age of fourteen years, when Poncho Villa and his men were driving the saints out.  They had to leave all their earthly possessions behind.  Abe visited the old home there many times.  He said it looked the same as when they were living there.  He said the pigs and the chickens looked like the same ones they had when they were living there. 

While there, his father was killed trying to save a Mexican worker’s life.  His father had a sawmill and they were running logs down a shute (sic) when they jammed.

 Abe helped his widowed mother support the younger children left at home.  He had limited scholling (sic), but it could not be said that he was uneducated.  He took every advantage to learn about many things.

 When the family left Mexico, they settled in Ramah, New Mexico where he met and married Amy Doris Fuller.  Three children were born to this union; Lucy Lucille James Edens, Walter A. James, and Preston William James.  Lucille is presently living in Salt Lake City, Utah, Walter in Kingman, Arizona, and Preston in Glendale, Arizona.

 While in Ramah, Abe bought and operated a lumber mill.  He was deputized during a small pox epidemic.  It had started with the Indian and Mexicon people there.

 He nearly completed building a home in Ramah.  One night he came home and told Amy that he had a chance to sell the nearly completed home.  He told Amy that they could take the money and go to the Salt Lake Temple and have she and Lucille and Walter sealed to him.  He said it was the last time he was going to ask her to go.  They sold the home that night, and the next morning as they were leaving to go to the temple, they stopped at the post office to get the mail.  They received a package from Amy’s mother.  When they opened it, it contained a white dress for Lucille, and a white suit for Walter that Lucy Fuller had made for them.

 Abe served in the first World War (sic).  He joined in 1918, and served in France for one year.  He would not take a pension for his service to his country. 

The family moved to Clardale (sic) in 1922, when Lucille and Walter were very small.  Lucille was born in Chandler, Arizona while her father was overseas.  Walter was also born in Chandler.  Preston was born in Clarkdale, Arizona.  Abe worked at the Phelps Dodge Smelter in Clarkdale.  He also served as ward clerk while living there.

 The smelter closed down in 1930, and he worked three days a week as watchman for the company.  During that time, he was building a home for the family in Cottonwood.  He had a mortgage on it, and a car to pay for, besides feeding his family.  Amy went to work to help out as Abe’s job was so uncertain.  The smelter closed for good in 1950.  Abe was transferred to Ajo, Arizona where he worked as a trained craneman.  He poured the first copper poured at the new smelter.  He was promoted to shift boss.  He worked there for a year and a half.

 When he worked at the smelter iin Clarkdale, he worked shift work.  When he was off during the day, he built James Court with twenty five rooms.  Also he built a store building located on main street (sic).  The Western Auto Store was located in this building for many years.  Later, Abe and Amy had a clothing store in this building.  The store was The Valley Clothing.

 When he retired from Ajo, he helped his son-in-law in his shop until he and Amy opened the clothing store.

 Abe served as fire chief of Cottonwood Volunteer Fire Department for a number of years.  While chief, he was instrumental in getting a retirement fund for the firemen.  He never received any thing from it.

 He was an avid outdoorsman and took his family to Kiabab hunting many times.  He liked to fish.  He went fishing in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico (sic).  He also took several fishing trips to Rocky Point, Mexico.  He took many trophies in elk and deer.

 He was a very compassionate and wonderful husband, father and grandfather.  He loved babies, baby boys the best, and held everyone of his grandchildren with great pride.  He left a legacy uncomparable (sic) to many men today.  He died May 20, 1980 at 5:15 A.M. in Phoenix, Arizona.  He is buried in Cottonwood, Arizona.  He was buried May 23, 1980.

 Author unknown, probably written about 1981-1983.