SIMS James Coplin b. 6 May 1922 Clanton, Chilton County, AL d. 12 Aug 2009 Gardendale, AL: Jamile's Genealogy Site

1922 - 2009 (87 years)

Name	SIMS James Coplin
Born	6 May 1922	Clanton, Chilton County, AL [1]
Gender	Male
Died	12 Aug 2009	Gardendale, AL [2]
Buried	14 Aug 2009	Jefferson Memorial Gardens, Trussville, AL
Person ID	I1113	Combo
Last Modified	22 Aug 2009

Father	SIMS Benjamin Harrison, b. 21 Jul 1889, Village Springs, Blount Co., AL , d. 14 Feb 1974, Clanton , Chilton Co., AL (Age 84 years)
Mother	BRUCE Zelphia Anstis, b. 26 Jan 1892, Clanton, Chilton Co., AL , d. 14 May 1983, Clanton , Chilton Co., AL (Age 91 years)
Married	15 Nov 1919	Chilton County, AL
Family ID	F0100	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family 1	WALKER Alma Hortense, b. 17 Jul 1919, Wappapello, Butler, MO , d. 12 Aug 1972, Flint, Genesse, MI (Age 53 years)
Married	8 May 1945	Piggott, Clay County, AR by R. W. Turner [3]
Notes	Marriage license lists James C. Sims of Clanton, Chilton County, AL, aged 23, and Miss Alma Walker of Dexter, County of Stoddard, Missouri, aged 23. The license was issued by Clay County Clerk W. F. Irby. Marriage ceremony was performed by R. W. Turner, Justice of the Peace. They were married the same day they purchased the marriage license. (Record on page 242 of Book 24 of Marriage Records in Clay County, AR.)
Family ID	F0452	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family 2 WALKER Alma Hortense, b. 17 Jul 1919, Wappapello, Butler, MO , d. 12 Aug 1972, Flint, Genesse, MI (Age 53 years)

Married 25 Jun 1947 Piggot, Clay County, Arkansas by T. A. French [4]

Notes

License shows that James C. Sims of Birmingham, County of Jefferson, State of Alabama, aged 25, and Mrs. Alma Hortense Sims of Birmingham, County of Jefferson, State of Alabama, aged 25 were married by T. A. French, County Judge. Witness was B. E. Shannon, Clerk.

James C. Sims (Complainant) was given a FINAL DECREE of divorce No. 23017 on June 5, 1967, in the Circuit Court, Tenth Juidicial, Circuit of Alabama, Equity Division, Jefferson County, Bessemer Division. He was awarded custody and control over Alma Jamile, age 18 years, with reasonable visitation rights to the Respondent. He was to pay Respondent $100 per month as alimony, beginning June 1, 1967.

Children

1. SIMS A. J., b. Private

Family ID F0453 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Family 3	PARKER Mary Frances, b. 21 Feb 1924, Brookside, Jefferson Co., AL , d. 17 Jan 2004, Birmingham, AL (Age 79 years)
Married	17 Nov 1967	Sharon Baptist, Brookside, AL [5]
Notes	Jamile has the original. Registered in the State of Alabama, Jefferson County Marriage Record for 1967, Book 41, Page 393, on November 21st, 1997.
Family ID	F0454	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Photos

» Slide Show

James C. Sims

Harry and James Sims

James Sims, Martha Bollinger Walker, Harmon Walker

Notes

Born at home, by Dr. J. P. Hayes

1940s - Owned a news stand with cousin Robert E. Bialas in Alabama when he got out of highschool. They sold newspapers, peanuts, and candy bars.

During WWII, and before they married the first time, James and Alma lived in Sturgis, KY and James was stationed at an airforce base about 1 mile away. During in interview in Jan 2006, James said he was not aware that Sturgis, KY was near the birthplace of Alma's father.

Jamile has pocket copy of:
Army of the United States Honorable Discharge. This is to certify that James C Sims 14 171 051 Corporal 815th AAF Base Unit 61st Wing Army of the United States is hereby Honorably Discharged from the military service of the United States of America. This certificate is awarded as a testimonial of Honest and Faithful Service to this country. Given at separation center Jefferson Barracks Missouri, Date 12th January 1946
Accompanying Enlisted Record and Report of Separation shows: blue eyes, brown hair, 5'8", 145 lbss, 1 dependent. Enlisted Oct 26 1942 at Ft McClellan, AL. Electrician 078, Pistol MkM Jan 3 1944, Good Conduct Medal. No time lost under AW 107 Lapel Button Issued Entitled to wear VICTORY RIBBON American Theatre Ribbon ASR score 34. White, married, US citizen, Elect Motor Repairman 5-83, 433

James and Alma were married twice.
Married May 8, 1945 in Clay County, Arkansas by W. F. Irby
Divorced in Ensley, Jefferson County, AL: Herond Lowe, Attorney
Married June 25, 1947 in Clay County, Arkansas by T. A. French
Divorced June 5, 1967 in Bessemer Division of 10th Circuit Court, Jefferson County, AL, Case 23017.

James was Chairman of the Building Committee when Fairfield Highlands Baptist Church built their new building in the 1960's.

June 18, 2004 Interview of James Coplin Sims by Jamile Sims Johnson

Daddy and Uncle Harry were born in a house at 1803 Yellow Leaf Road, Clanton, AL. (During the 1980's while the house was vacant, it burned. Shortly after, Benny and Debbie Sims rebuilt on the same site.)

About 1930 they moved from this original house to the big house at 1807 Yellow Leaf Road where Harry currently lives.

When Daddy was a small boy, his parents ran a barbeque place on the main highway in Clanton. Originally, Ben and Anstis were just landlords for the building which Ben built, but after loosing two renters during the first three years, they decided to take over the business. Anstis cooked and ran the restaurant.

As a young adult, Daddy owned 5 rental houses in Chilton County, Alabama, and one house in Ensley, Alabama. When he was first married, he and Alma lived in the Ensley house, but later rented it out.

During WWII, Daddy had a car while he was stationed in Missouri, but he couldn't get gas for it because he didn't always have a gas ration card. In order to get back to Alabama for visits, he hitchhiked. He said hitchhiking was much faster than taking the train or bus, and that folks were happy to pick up any soldier because they felt they were supporting the war effort.

Then they were newly weds, Jim and Alma lived at 3011 Avenue W., Ensley, AL. The house belonged to his Aunt Ida Bell.

Daddy has no arches, and has always had to wear arch supports in his shoes. That's where Jamile gets her flat feet.

In his 30's, Daddy was working on the roof of a house and the rotten boards gave way, and he fell breaking his ankle. He was in a cast for 13 weeks. He never had full use of his leg after the accident. Many years later he found out that the maximum time should be 9 weeks in a cast. He doctors have since told him that the longer time in the cast weakened his leg. He said he used to use a vacuum cleaner and crevace attachment to cool his leg in the cast during hot weather!

Daddy likes his sauces and gravies. He makes a white gravy that is to be used ONLY on chicken, and a brown gravy that is to be used ONLY on pot roast. If he makes both at the same meal, he requires that you use the correct gravy on whatever you are eating ! He also requires that you eat English peas out of a bowl, with a spoon, because that's the way they are SUPPOSED to be eaten. ha See Notes for Alma H. Walker Sims

Military: 815 A.A.F. Base Unit 61 Wing, U. S. Airforce, WWII; Cpr, U.S.AAF. James was station at Gunter Field, Montgomery, AL, Malden, MO, and Highpoint, NC, serial number 14171051. James was an electrician 078, served 3 years, 2 months, and 17 days.

Worked for U.S. Steel in Ensley, AL for 36.5 years.
Job Title: Electrician Motor Inspector; repaired overhead crane motors and mechanical parts and control boards. For a 4-week period (during a layoff at U.S. Steel) James worked in Mobile at the Alabama Dry Dock repairing all kinds of machinery. 10/15/08 James told Jamile he used to sleep in a wheelbarrow at work. H said there was a small equipment room that was no longer used. It was empty, so he tool over the room and put in a large wheelbarrow. He lined the wheelbarrow with large paper sacks and slept when he wasn't on a job.

April 5, 2006 Jamile called her dad to say she'd like to visit Sunday, She told him she had her garden tilled and asked if it was too early to plant. He said we are going to have a frost for three days starting April 21 so we shouldn't plant anything before then. I asked him if he knew this because of the Farmer's Almanac. Then (I could just see his forehead all frowned up) he raised his voice and "Didn't you hear! It's been on TV !! It thundered on January 21st, and that means that we will have a frost for three days starting April 21st !!!"

April 2006: James said as a child he went to Chicago in a Model A Ford with his mother Anstis, his aunt Ida Bell, and his cousin Euell Woodyard. He also said that up the street from his childhood house (away from the house that Benny and Debbie live in now) one of his relatives built a dance hall. The dance hall was later partioned off into an apartment building.
During WWII in Missouri James had been dating Lillian Leathers for some time when he broke up with her to date Alma. He and Alma went to a dance one night and when they came out Lillian had thrown a brickbat through his car windshield.

February 2007: James told Jamile and Hayley that Jamile's mother miscarried twin boys prior to Jamile's birth.

Had a spontaneous break in his left leg bone, and broke his left shoulder also as he fell to the ground. Surgery was in May 2008 at Doctor's Hospital, and then James went to SunBridge Care and Rehabilition in Gardendale, AL. At the nursing home, his lunch tray came with a slip of paper that listed the things not to put on his tray because he didn't like them: coffee, coleslaw, all greens, ham salad, tea.