Edward Warren James was the tenth child and the sixth son of William Duncan James and Amy Celestine Thornton. He was born at home on February 6, 1902 in the small rural township of Manor, (pronounced may-nor) in Ware County, Georgia.
He was raised with twelve brothers and sisters on the family farm, which grew mostly tobacco, corn, and produce as cash crops. The family was for the most part, self sustaining through cultivation of all their produce as well as meat staples such as, chickens and other fowl, goats, hogs, milk and beef cows. There was good hunting and fishing in the area which provided much venison, bear meat and fish of many varieties. They were known as “well off” farmers in that part of the county and were the first family to own a car, which was a new Ford. Grandpa James paid cash for it. (An interesting note: Grandpa never drove the car as there was always a son to drive. After the boys left home, the car was parked in the barn and Grandpa and Grandma travelled about by horse and buggy.)
The James family was a very loving and caring family with deep religious beliefs. It was common practice, not only in their home, but also in the community in which they lived, to share with one another the fruits of their labors, especially during hard times. “Coop” as Edward Warren was affectionately known, learned early in life that hard work and a strong belief in God were a natural part of the make-up of the James household. (Coop was short for Cooper. Daddy “Red” was very fond of one of the black hired hands who worked on the farm. As Cooper would do his chores, Dad would always be there by his side. It wasn’t long before he was called “Little Cooper”, soon shortened to “Coop”, pronounced “Cup” by his family) His Great Grandfather, Deacon Benjamin Ditcher James Jr., was a Baptist Preacher at the Ben James Shilo Primitive Baptist Church near Blackshear, Pierce County, Georgia from 1830 until his death in 1861. This religious influence had been passed down from generation to generation.
Schooling was available in the town proper of Manor. The school was a little more than two miles from the James farm and after finishing their morning chores, Coop, his brothers and sisters would meet relatives and friends living nearby and would make their trek on foot to the schoolhouse. Typical of most country schools at that time, the schoolhouse was a one room structure with a wood burning, pot-bellied stove in the very center of the room. In the winter months, it would glow as it radiated heat throughout the classroom. In the warm months, the windows were thrown wide to capture the cool breezes from the surrounding pine forest. A well with a hand pump furnished drinking water and a primitive “two-hole” outhouse at the edge of the woods served for other basic needs. The children were grouped by age, so the teacher could teach each different grade level. From what we know, Coop enjoyed school and did very well in his studies.
Saturdays were spent working around the farm or at neighbors gathering in crops, cleaning out the barns, or other necessary activities. Sunday always included church in the morning and in the evening. In between, Coop and the others played baseball, went swimming in nearby ponds or just sat on the front porch swapping stories. Sometimes relatives from out of town would visit and they told of opportunities far and wide. The railroad was a major employer in most large cities and it was tales of the exciting life of railroad men that got the attention of young Edward Warren. The most exciting thing that Coop and his buddies did was to make moonshine in secret.
In 1921, at the age of 19, Coop was tired of farm life and with only a few dollars to his name, left home and hitched a ride with friends to Jacksonville, Florida. He had always been told that the sky was the limit in Jacksonville as far as opportunity was concerned. Near the St. Johns River ship yards, he found a boarding house on Hendricks Avenue. He could live here and find work. He soon found a job working for the Florida East Coast Railway at the Honeymoon Railroad yard near the old ice house on Hendricks Avenue. He worked there for four years.
His gamble to move from the security of his boyhood home in Manor to Jacksonville paid off. He had comfortable living quarters and had become very close friends with the owners of the boarding house where he lived. He was making such good wages, that he was soon able to buy a very fashionable Model “A” Ford Roadster with a rumble seat. This young man had graduated from a simple country boy to a trendsetter, the sport of Southside Jacksonville and the envy of his friends back home in Manor.
Because of his personality and penchant for hard work, he was readily accepted by the men he worked with at the railroad yard and many of them became his lifelong friends. His buddies loved to tease him about his red hair and it was at about this time that he acquired the nickname “Red” because of his flamboyant, red hair. The name Coop was now seldom used except for the old timers and relatives.
For the next two years with his job and car, he was on top of the world, then in 1923 he met Marie Ann DeChaine. Little did he realize at the time that this chance meeting was the single most important occurrence in his life. Red was 21 and Marie was 14.
(To be continued in the next Newsletter)