As a child in Wilmington, James would skip school to go fishing. He got his nickname when at age 16 joined a poker game to earn enough money to buy a minnow bucket. He played and won every hand and he went and got his minnow bucket. Thereafter, his nickname was “Minnow Bucket.”

He graduated from Wilmington High School. He served in World War II in the Navy on the USS Birmingham in the South Pacific.

James married Laura Rosella SANDERS, daughter of Harry Sanders and Nancy Irene Green, on February 23rd, 1952. They were married by Pastor Robert Gordon of the Grace Methodist Church at 1002 Oakland in Joliet, Illinois.

They had two daughters together.

James worked as a union carpenter.

In 1969, James and Laura lived at Rt. 1, Box 202 A, Wilmington, IL.

In 1971, Laura committed suicide.

James was a fossil collector, master fisherman, mushroom hunter, and turtle collector. He was also an alcoholic and a gambler. He helped in the construction of the Minooka Grade School in Minooka, Grundy County, IL as well as the Bob Evans restaurant in Joliet, Will County, IL. He was a member of the Wilmington Masonic Temple, a card carrying “Hobie Hunter,” and a practical joker.

He was a member of the Bloomington Valley Scottish Rite, the Joliet Carpenters Union, the Wilmington VFW Post, the Wilmington American Legion and was past president of the Joliet Mineralogist Society.

He knew every part of the Kankakee River and lobbied for its preservation. He was the kind of a person who always went out of his way to help somebody and never asked for anything in return.

When there would be a bug or something crawling on him, he’d just push it away — he said God put everything on this earth for a reason. Everyone loved him.

On September 27, 1985, James was found bludgeoned to death in his home in Wilmington. He was buried in 1985 in Oakwood Cemetery, Wilmington, Will County, IL.