James Thomas Barrs (1904 - 2005)

Born 2 Sep 1904 in Danville, Twiggs County, Georgia, United States of America

Husband of Vida (Fitz Randolph) Barrs — married 2 Sep 1931 (to Sep 1973) in Alfred, Allegany County, New York, United States of America

Descendants

Died 1 Sep 2005 at age 100 in Onset, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States of America

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Biography

James was born in 1904 in Danville, GA to Andrew Robert Barrs and Dolly Lee Brown. He grew up on farms in the Danville-Cadwell area, and went to college at the University of Georgia, graduating cum laude in 1927. He continued his studies, earning a Masters and PhD at Harvard University. While studying in Cambridge, MA, he met Vida Fitz Randolph; they married in 1931 at her parents' residence in Alfred, NY. They had three children together. After graduating from Harvard in 1937, James and the family moved to Douglas, GA where James was a teacher and dean at the South Georgia College. In 1943, he took a teaching position at Washington College in Chestertown, MD, before finally settling in 1945 in the English department at Northeastern University back in Boston, MA. His wife Vida passed away in 1973. James remarried to Ann Falconer Holcombe in 1986, but they divorced in 1991. He passed away in 2005 in Onset, MA one day short of his 101st birthday.

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Sources

R. Fitz Randolph genealogy database. 2nd wife name: Ann Falconer Holdcombe; marriage year: 1986; Divorce year: 1991.

See Barrs entry in Prabook, accessed 15 Jul 2015. Provides his academic and professional history as a linguistics educator.

Birth

Georgia Dept of Public Health, Delayed Certificate of Birth, photocopy of official copy of original certificate, dated 4 Dec 1975; in R. Fitz Randolph genealogy document collection, consulted 2 Aug 2015. Name: James Thomas Barrs; SSN: none; Color: White; Gender: Male; Date of Birth: 2 Sep 1904; Birth place: Near Danville, Ga; Residence: 14 State St., Randolph, Mass; Father: Andrew Robert Barrs; Father Birthplace: Blackley Co., Ga; Mother: Dollie Lee Brown; Mother birthplace: Twiggs Co, GA. Affidavit signed by James T. Barrs, 4 Nov 1942; evidence provided: (1) notarized statement of birth from child; (2) notarized statement of school record; (3) Affidavit made by mother; (4) Affidavit by friend; Reviewed 13 Nov 1942; Filing date: 20 Nov 1942.

Residence

1910 census?

"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJ6F-V9Q : accessed 15 July 2015), James T Bars in household of Andrew R Bars, Cadwell, Laurens, Georgia, United States; citing sheet 11B, family 206, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,820,266. Census date: 24 Jan 1920. Name: James T Bars; Gender: Male; Age: 15; Marital Status: Single; Race: White; Race (Original): White; Relationship to Head of Household: Son; Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Son; Birth Year (Estimated): 1905; Birthplace: Georgia; Father's Birthplace: Georgia; Mother's Birthplace: Georgia; Household (Role Gender Age Birthplace): Andrew R Bars, Head, M, 47, married, Georgia; Farmer, general farm, Employer, farm schedule: 204; Dolly L Bars, Wife, F, 42, married, Georgia; James T Bars, Son, M, 15, Georgia; attended school, Dona L Bars, Daughter, F, 14, Georgia, attended school; Laura E Bars, Daughter, F, 10, Georgia; attended school; Alma L Bars, Daughter, F, 8, Georgia; attended school; Georgia M Bars, Daughter, F, 5, Georgia. Owned, no mortgage, farm. All parents' birthplace: GA.

1930 census?

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7LC-7Z3 : accessed 15 July 2015), James T Barrs, Ward 2, Douglas, Militia District 748, Coffee, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 34-3, sheet 4B, family 88, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 659. Census date: 4 Apr 1940. Name: James T Barrs; Gender: male; Age: 35; Marital Status: Married; Race (Original): White; Race: White; Relationship to Head of Household (Original): head; Relationship to Head of Household: head; Birthplace: Georgia; Birth Year (Estimated): 1905; Last Place of Residence: Randolph, Massachusetts; Household (Role Gender Age Birthplace): James T Barrs, Head, M, 35, married, educ: C-10?;Georgia; employed; teacher, SMS College, wages; 45 hrs/49 weeks; income: 1800; no other income; Vida F Barrs, Wife, F, 36, married, educ: C-6; New York; Housework; no other income; Dorothy C Barrs, Daughter, F, 2, Massachusetts; Ann R Barrs, Daughter, F, 1, Georgia. Rented, $23. In 1935: Randolph, Mass.

Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. accessed 15 Jul 2015. Name: Vida R Barrs; Gender: Female; Residence Year:

• Name: 1949; Street address: 166 Chestnut WN; Residence Place: Newton, Massachusetts, USA; Spouse: James T Barrs, Prof, Northeastern Univ.; Publication Title: Newton, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1948
• 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1957
• 1963; Residence Place: Newton, Massachusetts, USA; Spouse: James T Barrs, prof, Northeastern Univ.; Publication Title: Newton, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1963.

"United States Public Records, 1970-2009," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KL6M-1DV : accessed 15 July 2015), J Barrs, Residence, Onset, Massachusetts, United States; a third party aggregator of publicly available information. Name: J Barrs; Also Known As: James T Barrs; Residence Date: 01 Jun 2003; Residence Place: Onset, Massachusetts, United States; Birth Date: 02 Sep 1904; Phone Number: (508) 381-0659; Phone Number Recorded Date: 01 Jan 2009; Address: 215 PO Box, Onset, Massachusetts 02558; Address Date: 01 Jun 2003; 2nd Address: 4 Bay Rd, Milford, Massachusetts 01757; 2nd Address Date: 01 Apr 1993-01 Jan 2009; 3rd Address: 166 Chestnut St, West Newton, Massachusetts 02465; 3rd Address Date: 01 Mar 1993; Possible Relatives: Andrew C Barrs, Ann F Barrs, Jas Barrs, Lackey A Barrs; Record Number: 8310206.

Marriage

"New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6HD-93V : accessed 15 July 2015), James Thomas Barrs and Vida Fitz Randolph, 02 Sep 1931; citing , New York, United States, county offices, New York; FHL microfilm 1,006,586. Name: James Thomas Barrs; Residence: Cadwell, Laurens Co., GA. Num of marriage: 1st; Event Type: Marriage License; Event Date: 27 Aug 1931; Event Place: , New York, United States; Age: 26; Birthdate: 2 Sep 1904; Birth Year (Estimated): 1905; Birthplace: Danville, GA; Occupation: Teacher; Father's Name: Andrew R Barrs; Birthplace: US; Mother's Name: Dolly Lee Brown; Birthplace: US; Spouse's Name: Vida Fitz Randolph; Spouse residence: Alfred, Allegany Co., NY; Spouse occupation: Laboratory Ass't; Birthplace: Alfred, NY; Spouse's Age: 28; Spouse birthdate: 7 Jun 1903; Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1903; Spouse num of marriage: 1st; Spouse's Father's Name: Alva F Randolph; birthplace: US; Spouse's Mother's Name: Mary Carolyn Hoff; birthplace: US. Future address: 6 Washington Ave, Cambridge, Mass.

"New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FFRW-N3Z : accessed 14 July 2015), Mary Carolyn Hoff in entry for James Thomas Barrs and Nida Fitz Randolph, 02 Sep 1931; citing Allegany, New York, United States, county offices, New York; FHL microfilm 1,006,590. Name: James Thomas Barrs; Event Type: Marriage; Event Date: 02 Sep 1931; Event Place: Allegany, New York, United States; Age: 26; Birth Year (Estimated): 1905; Father's Name: Andrew R Barrs; Mother's Name: Dolly Lee Brown; Spouse's Name: Nida Fitz Randolph; Spouse's Age: 28; Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1903; Spouse's Father's Name: Alva F Randolph; Spouse's Mother's Name: Mary Carolyn Hoff.

Death

"United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VSMZ-Q5S : accessed 15 July 2015), James T Barrs, 01 Sep 2005; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing). Age: 101; Given Name: James; Middle Name: T; Surname: Barrs; Birth Date: 02 Sep 1904; State: Massachusetts; Last Place of Residence: Onset, Plymouth, Massachusetts; Previous Residence Postal Code: 02558; Event Date: 01 Sep 2005