Ruth (Proctor) James

Ancestors

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ray James [send private message]

Biography

Orena Ruth Proctor was born in Missouri on 1 September 1921. She married Raymond Pickett "Buckshot" James, and lived in Junction, Kimble Co, Texas. She passed away in 2014.

Mom was born in the southwest corner of Missouri, grew up in Dallas, moved with her mother and siblings to San Marcos, attended high school in San Marcos (I think), and then attended College at Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State University). She reported 2 years of college on the 1940 Census (age 18). She graduated from high school and from college very young, by todays standards, and took a job teaching at Junction High School, in Junction, Texas, about 1941, where she met Dad. I understand some of the senior students might have been older than Mom when she started. One, Charlie V. Wootan, was much later my boss when he served as Director of the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University

The 1930 Census of Hays Co, Texas, lists: Avis S Proctor (32, widowed, b. Texas, father b. Tenn,, mother b. Ala.) Orena R Proctor (8, b. Missouri, father b. Missouri, mother b. Texas) Annie W Proctor (6, b. Texas) Belle O James (52, b. Ala, both parents b. Ala) [Orena Belle (Malone) James]

The 1940 Census of Hays Co, Texas lists: Howard Woodall (Assist. Postmaster, 54, b. Texas) [A&M College, class of 1905] Avis Stella Woodall (41, b. Texas) [Avie Stella (James) Proctor Woodall) Clara E Woodall (4, b. Texas) [Clara Beth (Elizabeth) Woodall, m. Urban] Orena R Proctor (18, b. Missouri) [Orena Ruth Proctor, m. James] Anna W Proctor (16, b. Texas) [Anna W(arren?) Proctor, m. Frost] Orena B James (mother-in-law, 71, b. Alabama) [Orena Belle (Malone) James]

Dad was drafted and mustered into the US Army on 13 Feb, 1942 at Ft. Bliss, Texas; Mom and Dad were married 21 June 1942, and he was sent to Europe after a few months training, and over the next three and a half years or so, traveled to England, North Africa, Italy, and then through western Europe, I think including France and Germany. He served with a medical supply outfit, with rank Sergeant (Tech-Sgt?). He returned to Texas by way of New York, and was reunited with Mom in 1945.

Mom was an early female aviator, learning to fly in San Marcos, Texas about 1939-40. She earned her license flying (I think) a J-3. One requirement at that time was to execute a stall and spin and recovery, during a student solo, with instructor observing from the ground. I have her log book.

Mom didn’t fly much after earning her license, as her focus after graduation from Texas State turned to teaching, her new husband (and his 3.5 year Uncle Sam- sponsored tour of Europe), and then raising their three children.

Mom was a Home Economics teacher at Junction High School, a homemaker, and she ran a fishing camp on the South Llano River with seven cabins, "Triple R Cottages". She originally cooked some meals for the guests, probably fried chicken, although that soon became too much work combined with raising young children, and she ceased providing meals sometime in the 1950s. But she still handled all the reservations, checked guests in and out, rented boats, and cleaned the cabins and hauled the resulting trash (a job which became the chore for the boys, at, I think, a nickel a garbage can. Trash was hauled to a ravine, dumped and burned, until such time (in the 1970s, I think) that someone in the county or state government required us to clean up that ravine and dispose of the trash in a more environmentally friendly manner.

Sources

• Personal knowledge by Ray James 8-2019.

• Year: 1930; Census Place: Dallas, Dallas, Texas; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 0095; FHL microfilm: 2342054

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129747691/orena-ruth-james#source 129747691 --accessed by Ray James on 18 Jan 2020