John James Humphrey

James John Humphrey

Name: James John Humphrey

Individual Facts

Birth: Jan 10 1866 Georgia

Death: Feb 10 1936 (age 70) Callahan County, Texas, on farm northeast of Abilene

Buried: Abilene Municipal Cemetery

Marriages/Children

1. Emma May Hamilton

Marriage: Dec 25 1897 (age 31) Venus, Tx

Children:

Tempie Mae Humphrey (Dec 29 1898 - Oct 17 1993)

Alma Loraine Humphrey (Sep 25 1905 - Sep 22 1988)

R. Lester Humphrey (Feb 5 1902 - Nov 10 1979)

James Humphrey was a circuit preacher and farmer. He spoke seldom about his past or his parents. The family understood that his Father died in the Civil War and his Mother died when he was a small child, about three years old. His daughter-in-law wrote that family members cared for him until he was old enough to fend for himself. We do not know who raised him or much else about his early life.

James Humphrey with First Fiancée

They broke up before Marrying

Hillsboro, Texas

James Humphrey work and travel in the Johnson and Hill County. He obtained his marriage license in Glen Rose. He preached in Venus, Texas. The picture above was taken in Hillsboro, Texas, in Hill County.

According to recent family notes James Humphrey was born in Texas. I have heard him called John Humphrey and John James Humphrey. But Census records and his gravestone give his name as James John Humphrey. Georgia is given as his state of birth in several census records. In the 1910 census James place of birth is given as Georgia, and his Father's place of birth may be Ireland. The latter is difficult to read.

James Humphrey's father place of birth in 1910 Census

In 1930 James Humphrey is living in Callahan County. His place of birth on the Census is listed as Georgia. The birthplace of his parents is given as "Unknown." Tempie, his daughter, list her Father's place of birth as Georgia in 1930.

A diary that J J kept from 1897 until 1907 came to light when his daughter, my Grandmother, Tempie Humphrey Bourland, moved to a retirement home. It was among items that had been kept by May Hamilton Humphrey, but the family had not known of its existence until that time. The diary is terse and often not much more than lists of places, earnings, or expenditures. But it does contain some moments of note recorded in Mr. Humphrey's style. He mentions meeting Miss May. He was preaching in several central Texas towns at this time. Miss May is baptized and from that moment forward she is referred to as Sister May. He asks Sister May for her hand and visits her parents. He records the fact of their marriage at the Venus Church, and that the next Sunday he preached at the Venus Church.

James Humphrey diary places him in Johnson County from 1897 through 1908. In 1910 and 1930 the James Humphrey is living in Callahan county near Clyde. Tempie, their daughter, kept many pictures from her life as a young woman going to high school in Clyde.

My Father notes that both J J and his bride May Hamilton were of a feisty character. This characteristics seems to have been passed on to his daughter Tempie, my Father, and others in the Family. We are hearing from our Son and Daughter-in-Law that this trait is present in our Granddaughter, James Humphrey's great-great-great granddaughter.

We have only found Census records for the James and May Humphrey family in 1910, 1920, and 1930. The 1900 census should be in Texas and include James, May, and Tempie. Prior to 1900 no record can be found that can be definitively linked with James Humphrey. In 1920 Tempie is living in Nolan county where she is teacher. She would not be included in a listing. Lester may also be away from home, having moved into Abilene to finish school in 1915.