James was one of the 5 sons of Irvin Wilson and Mary Jane Stewart. Their farm was right next to Irvin's parents: Henry Wilson and Margaret Sparks. Irvin, along with both of his parents, all died in 1880, perhaps from tuburculosis. Irvin was only about 30, and left behind his young widow to raise the children.
James Wilson's first wife was Donna Green, whom he married in Pinesville, Kentucky about 1896. Together they had several children: Malinda, Mary, Albert, Roxie and Irvin. For awhile they lived as neighbors with Donna's family, her sister even living with them for a time, while James worked as a farmer. For whatever reason, they decided to move 80 miles away to Crab Orchard, Kentucky to try his luck farming there, but things didn't work out in Crab Orchard. Maybe farming wasn't any better there, or maybe it's because Donna got sick, but they moved back within a couple miles of Pinesville, to Cary Kentucky. Unfortunately, Donna was not well, and she died at the age of 38 from tuberculosis. In Cary, James started a new profession, working as a coal miner.
About 3 years after Donna's death, James married his second wife, Ollie Acuff around 1921. He was 24 years older than Ollie. James' oldest child, Malinda, had taken over the household duties when her mother died, and was still living with him after he remarried. She was also 5 years older than Ollie. I can only wonder if there was a strained relationship between Ollie and her step children, since 3 of them were older than her, and the 4th wasn't far behind. She did have many children of her own though: Floyd, Roy, Henry, Pauline and Betty. They lived fairly comfortably; James made decent money working in the mines and they could even afford to have a live in cook. On James' WWI draft card, he's described as being of average height with an average build, blue eyes and dark hair. In the 1930 census, both James and Ollie are listed as being unable to read or write. James eventually died in Kentucky at the age of 88. Ollie lived most of her life in Kentucky, but in her later years moved to Maryland to be close to her adult children. She died in Maryland, after a long life of 85 years.
James Wilson's first wife was Donna Green, whom he married in Pinesville, Kentucky about 1896. Together they had several children: Malinda, Mary, Albert, Roxie and Irvin. For awhile they lived as neighbors with Donna's family, her sister even living with them for a time, while James worked as a farmer. For whatever reason, they decided to move 80 miles away to Crab Orchard, Kentucky to try his luck farming there, but things didn't work out in Crab Orchard. Maybe farming wasn't any better there, or maybe it's because Donna got sick, but they moved back within a couple miles of Pinesville, to Cary Kentucky. Unfortunately, Donna was not well, and she died at the age of 38 from tuberculosis. In Cary, James started a new profession, working as a coal miner.
About 3 years after Donna's death, James married his second wife, Ollie Acuff around 1921. He was 24 years older than Ollie. James' oldest child, Malinda, had taken over the household duties when her mother died, and was still living with him after he remarried. She was also 5 years older than Ollie. I can only wonder if there was a strained relationship between Ollie and her step children, since 3 of them were older than her, and the 4th wasn't far behind. She did have many children of her own though: Floyd, Roy, Henry, Pauline and Betty. They lived fairly comfortably; James made decent money working in the mines and they could even afford to have a live in cook. On James' WWI draft card, he's described as being of average height with an average build, blue eyes and dark hair. In the 1930 census, both James and Ollie are listed as being unable to read or write. James eventually died in Kentucky at the age of 88. Ollie lived most of her life in Kentucky, but in her later years moved to Maryland to be close to her adult children. She died in Maryland, after a long life of 85 years.
James was one of the 5 sons of Irvin Wilson and Mary Jane Stewart. Their farm was right next to Irvin's parents: Henry Wilson and Margaret Sparks. Irvin, along with both of his parents, all died in 1880, perhaps from tuburculosis. Irvin was only about 30, and left behind his young widow to raise the children.
James Wilson's first wife was Donna Green, whom he married in Pinesville, Kentucky about 1896. Together they had several children: Malinda, Mary, Albert, Roxie and Irvin. For awhile they lived as neighbors with Donna's family, her sister even living with them for a time, while James worked as a farmer. For whatever reason, they decided to move 80 miles away to Crab Orchard, Kentucky to try his luck farming there, but things didn't work out in Crab Orchard. Maybe farming wasn't any better there, or maybe it's because Donna got sick, but they moved back within a couple miles of Pinesville, to Cary Kentucky. Unfortunately, Donna was not well, and she died at the age of 38 from tuberculosis. In Cary, James started a new profession, working as a coal miner.
About 3 years after Donna's death, James married his second wife, Ollie Acuff around 1921. He was 24 years older than Ollie. James' oldest child, Malinda, had taken over the household duties when her mother died, and was still living with him after he remarried. She was also 5 years older than Ollie. I can only wonder if there was a strained relationship between Ollie and her step children, since 3 of them were older than her, and the 4th wasn't far behind. She did have many children of her own though: Floyd, Roy, Henry, Pauline and Betty. They lived fairly comfortably; James made decent money working in the mines and they could even afford to have a live in cook. On James' WWI draft card, he's described as being of average height with an average build, blue eyes and dark hair. In the 1930 census, both James and Ollie are listed as being unable to read or write. James eventually died in Kentucky at the age of 88. Ollie lived most of her life in Kentucky, but in her later years moved to Maryland to be close to her adult children. She died in Maryland, after a long life of 85 years.
James Wilson's first wife was Donna Green, whom he married in Pinesville, Kentucky about 1896. Together they had several children: Malinda, Mary, Albert, Roxie and Irvin. For awhile they lived as neighbors with Donna's family, her sister even living with them for a time, while James worked as a farmer. For whatever reason, they decided to move 80 miles away to Crab Orchard, Kentucky to try his luck farming there, but things didn't work out in Crab Orchard. Maybe farming wasn't any better there, or maybe it's because Donna got sick, but they moved back within a couple miles of Pinesville, to Cary Kentucky. Unfortunately, Donna was not well, and she died at the age of 38 from tuberculosis. In Cary, James started a new profession, working as a coal miner.
About 3 years after Donna's death, James married his second wife, Ollie Acuff around 1921. He was 24 years older than Ollie. James' oldest child, Malinda, had taken over the household duties when her mother died, and was still living with him after he remarried. She was also 5 years older than Ollie. I can only wonder if there was a strained relationship between Ollie and her step children, since 3 of them were older than her, and the 4th wasn't far behind. She did have many children of her own though: Floyd, Roy, Henry, Pauline and Betty. They lived fairly comfortably; James made decent money working in the mines and they could even afford to have a live in cook. On James' WWI draft card, he's described as being of average height with an average build, blue eyes and dark hair. In the 1930 census, both James and Ollie are listed as being unable to read or write. James eventually died in Kentucky at the age of 88. Ollie lived most of her life in Kentucky, but in her later years moved to Maryland to be close to her adult children. She died in Maryland, after a long life of 85 years.
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