James Daniel Watkins (1921 - 1961)

Born 11 Jan 1921 in Colfax Township, Daviess County, Missouri

Ancestors

Husband of Adelina May Parton — married 8 Feb 1941 (to 20 Feb 1961) in Altamont, Daviess, Missouri

Died 20 Feb 1961 at age 40 in Stewartsville, Clinton County, Missouri

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Biography

James was born in 11 January 1921, birth record from the county of Daviess, in the state of Missouri. He was the son of [James Riley Watkins-3685| and Ester Riggs and was born on the farm his parents owned in this county of Missouri. My uncle, Ed Watkins, took me to see the farm and the actual house he where was born in the early 1980's. He is also found on the 1930 and 1940 U.S. Census Records from the State of Missouri.

He died from a logging accident on 20 February 1961, in the county of Clinton, south of Stewartsville, Missouri, this information was documented from the Missouri Death Certificate files, and from my own personal experience of this time. I have a document for the purchase of land from the Stewartsville Cemetery Association for burial, which was used for his burial and our baby sister Jewell Sharlene in 1947.

On 08 February 1941, he was married to Adelina May Parton in Altamont, Daviess County, Missouri. At the time of this marriage, he was married at the same time with his brother Charles Edwin Watkins who was marring Adelina's sister, Irene Ethel Parton.

He liked being known as a 'Jack of all trades', he had many interests including barbering which he did with his military group on the way home from his tour in Korea during World War II, he was first stationed in Hawaii during this war, and was placed in the group of the repair of motor vehicles. One of his jobs was as a driver for the military leaders there in the Army in Hawaii. When he returned home at the end of his time of service he also trained in mechanical repair, and opened for a short time a garage in his home in Stewartsville. He also built a modern home of his own design in this town with the help of his brothers using the few tools he owned in the building of this house. At the time of his death he was working for his brothers, John and Sam Watkins of the Watkins Mill also in Stewartsville, Missouri. He also sheared sheep in the spring summer months of the year working with others as a team, including his brothers Samuel and youngest brother, Benjamin.

Sources

• Birth and Death Records, State of Missouri Vital Statistics ; Marriage Record from DeKalb County Recorder of Deeds, Maysville, Missouri; WW II Military Records, including his Draft card from the National Archives, St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box 342; WWII, Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, National Archives and Records Administration, found on Ancestry.com on 29 Dec. 2015. He enlisted for the war on 21 October 1943 in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas as a private. He enlisted for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law. Many of these records were from St. Louis of Military Records and destroyed in a fire, I have the original records in my possession.

"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch; (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVV2-ZWR2 : 13 December 2015), James Daniel Watkins, 1961; Burial, Stewartsville, DeKalb, Missouri, United States of America, Stewartsville Cemetery; citing record ID 17630797, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com. Application for Headstone or Marker on April 11, 1961; His wife, Adelia May Watkins applied on 25 February 1961, five days following his death.

Public School Diploma, Department of Education, State of Missouri for James D. Watkins of Prairie Lawn District of Clinton County, given at Plattsburg, Missouri on 19 April 1936, Superintendent: Jennie C. Lockwood and Lloyd W. King, State Superintendent of Public Schools; I also have records from the department of the CCC camp where he was placed in 1937 at the death of his own father. It lists the education he received and the work he did at this time, one including typing.

Reeves-4890 05:01, 22 May 2018 (UTC)