Description

Russel Eldridge James (b. 1903 – d. 1986) was born April 5, 1903 in Great Bend, Kansas and died December 26, 1986 in Guthrie, Oklahoma.  He was the son of Frederick Stephen James (b. 1859 - d. 1943) who was born in Oakland, Iowa and died in Prescott, Arizona and Nancy Caroline Eldridge (b. 1869 – d. 1944) born April 24, 1869 in Davenport, Iowa and died in Prescott, Arizona. Russel’s father came to Arizona in 1916 and resided in Prescott starting in 1917; he was in the railway service until 1926.

At age 7, Russel was living in Marysville, Kansas; in 1920 he was living in Kennedy, New Mexico. By 1924, his voter registration card indicated he was living in Prescott, Arizona. By 1930 he was living in Phoenix, Oregon and was divorced. By 1932, his voter registration card showed he was living in Prescott. His March 1942 draft registration card indicated he was living in Ash Fork, Arizona and that he worked for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. In 1944, he was residing in Crookton, Arizona. Married by then to Lula Goff (b. 1892 – d. 1989), their daughter, Lina Ruth, was born in 1944. A 1963 Guthrie, Oklahoma  newspaper article announces the engagement of the daughter to Mr. Leslie J. Canning and that both had graduated from Guthrie High School.

Handwritten note on back of photograh is: "Russel James Top of Granite Mt."

Sources: The Guthrie Daily Leader, October 3, 1937, February 3, 1963; Prescott Evening Courier, February 23, 1944. Census reports, 1910, 1915, 1920, 1930, 1940 and 1950. Voter Registration: 1924, 1926, and 1932. WWI Draft Registration, 1942. Radio Amateur Callbook, 1938.