Saturday, May 30, 2015

The Descendants of James P Jordan

James P Jordan was the brother of my 3x great-grandfather, John T Jordan, and my 3x great uncle.  This article describes his descendants.

James P Jordan was born on 8 April 1858 in Middleton, TN.  He married Mary Jane Luttrell on 30 January 1878.  To read more about James click here.  James and Mary had two sons, John William and James Homer, and one daughter, Mary.

John William Jordan

John William Jordan was born on 21 February 1879 in Tennessee.  He died on 13 February 1897 at the age of 17 and is buried in Fannin County, Texas.  There is very little known about John William.

James Homer Jordan

James Homer Jordan was born on 26 April 1883 in Tennessee.  He lived most of his life in San Angelo, Texas where he worked as a banker,  James had two wives, Myrtle Sinclair (1908-1955, her death) and Gladys Roberts.  Below is James' obituary from the San Angelo Standard Times on 5 February 1965.

Photo from jucasey1 at Ancestry.com
Transcript of obituary:

James Homer Jordan, Sr., 81, a first National Bank director and formerly cashier died at 2:30pm Thursday in Shannon Hospital.  Funeral will be held at 2pm Saturday at the Johnson Street Church of Christ with Stanley Lockhart, minister, officiating.  Burial will be in Fairmount Cemetery directed by Johnson's Funeral Home.

Mr. Jordan liked to recall that he talked the late George E. Webb, then president of the bank, into giving him a trial.  That worked and he was associated with the bank 49 years, being vice president, cashier, and director before he retired in January 1961.  He continued as inactive vice president and director.  He was too ill to attend the January meeting of directors.

Mr. Jordan was born April 26, 1883, in Middleton, Tenn.  He was a year old when his family moved to Leonard in Fannin County, Tex.  After high school there, he attended Hill's Business College in Wave.  He came here in 1904.

In the bank here he took professional courses in the American Institute of Banking and headed the San Angelo chapter which he helped to found.  He also helped in organizing chapters at Lubbock and Amarillo.

He managed a cotton gin and traded in cotton at Bailey before coming to San Angelo.  His first work here was keeping books for J.B. Taylor Grocery Co.

When he applied for a position with the bank, Mr. Webb required written applications.  Another job seeker had misspelled a word.  When Mr. Webb rejected that application, he accepted the Jordan request because he and others in the bank knew the applicant.  Mr. Jordan once related he might have made an error in spelling had the bank insisted on checking him.  That stepping stone to success carried pay of $60 per month.

He held every post in the bank during his tenure except that of collector and president.

He was active in numerous civic projects here throughout his career, being president of the Lions Club at the time it was forming numerous clubs throughout the area.  He was president at the time the international organization recognized missionary effort in forming 13 area clubs during one year, receiving the international banner at Des Moines, Iowa.

He also served as president of the Board of City Development and as chancellor commander of the Knights of Pythias.  He was a member of the Johnson Street Church of Christ.  He formerly was chairman of the board and elder in the church.

Mr. Jordan was married to Myrtle Sinclair, May 5, 1908, in San Angelo.  She died in early August 1955.  Mr. Jordan was married then to Mrs. Gladys M. Roberts in July of 1957.

Surviving are his wife and five children by his first marriage.  These are James W., Jack G., and J. Homer Jordan Jr., all of San Angelo, Paul C Jordan of Dallas, and Mrs. W.R. Benson of San Saba:  11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

The family requests memorials be made to a favorite charity or to Johnson Street Church of Christ library.

Pallbearers will be Ralph Wilson, Hunter Cherry, R.C. Crabb, Ed Blanton, Curry Ducote, Chester Kenley, Charles Rose, and Clem Clutter, all of San Angelo.


James Homer Jordan Sr
Photo from jucasey1 at Ancestry.com

James Homer Jordan Sr
Photo from jucasey1 at Ancestry.com

As mentioned in the obituary, James and his first wife, Myrtle, had five children.  Myrtle died of pancreatic cancer on 4 August 1955.  Below are descriptions of James and Myrtle's children.

James William Jordan, born 24 June 1910 in San Angelo, TX.  James attended the University of Texas at Austin.  He then married Idella Mae Talbot and returned to San Angelo where he worked as an insurance salesman.  They had one daughter, Mildred, born in about 1937.  James served in the US Army during World War II from 1942-1945.  He died of heart disease on 6 July 1973 in San Angelo, TX.

Jack Gilbert Jordan, born 12 September 1911 in San Angelo, TX.  Jack's wife was named Fannie, and they had a daughter named Sandra, born in about 1939.  Jack worked as a bookkeeper and examiner and lived in San Angelo, Houston, and Washington DC.  He served in the US Army during World War II from 1944-1946.  Jack died on 15 March 1990.

James Homer Jordan, Jr., born 27 October 1914 in San Angelo, TX.  Homer married Georgia LaVoy Stewart on 1 June 1942.  He served in the US Army Air Force during World War II; then he returned to San Angelo where Georgia worked as a nurse, and Homer worked as business manager for the Doctors Clinic (later Shannon Clinic).  Homer and Georgia had three children:  James, JoAnn, and Judy.  Homer died in Miami, FL on 2 July 1977 and is buried in San Angelo.

James Homer Jordan Jr about 1945
Photo from jucasey1 at Ancestry.com

Paul Clyde, born 16 August 1917 in San Angelo, TX.  Paul married Tommie Gray Linthicum in about 1938.  They lived in Dallas, TX and had three children:  Jan Paulette, Gary Ross, and Jeffrey Lynn.  Paul died on 17 July 1987 in Dallas, TX.

Mary Maxine, born 19 December 1923 in San Angelo, TX.  Mary married William Russell Benson and they lived in San Saba, TX.  They had two children:  Cindy Lynette and Dan Thomas.  Mary died on 19 December 1993 in Shawnee Mission, KS and is buried in College Station, TX.

Jordan Brothers, Left to right:  Paul Clyde, James Homer, Jack Gilbert, and James William
Photo from jucasey1 at Ancestry.com


No comments:

Post a Comment