James Lewis (1888-1921)

James Lewis (1888-1921)
Born	November 26, 1888 Taylor, Navajo, Arizona
Died	November 8, 1927 Taylor, Navajo, Arizona
Resting place	Taylor, Navajo, Arizona
Father	James Harding Lewis
Mother	Hilda Solomon
Wife	Lillis Irene Gardner
Children	James Chester Lewis Ermon Gardner Lewis Ethel Lewis

James Lewis served as an dlder and married Lillis Gardner. He passed away from typhoid fever in 1927.

Younger Years

James Lewis was born 26 November 1888. He was the son of James Harding and Hilda Solomon Lewis. He was the 7th child of nine.His early years as a boy and young man as far as we can gather any information was doing the regular things boys do. He like to hunt and fish, running races, in fact they say he was a very fast runner and did a lot of ball playing, especially baseball. He pitched for ball games between Taylor and Snowflake. He was interested in farming, carpentry, and mechanics. Some of his friends were Rufus Crandall, Ernest Shumway, Willie Willis, Henry Randell, Arthur Palmer, Lester Shumway, Andrew Brimhall, Logan Brimhall, George Lewis, Dick Shumway, and Jim "Lou East" Lewis. Because of another "Jim Lewis" living in town on the east side of the river, they separated them by calling one "Jim Lou East" and the other "Jim Lou West" (our dad.) The boys would play down by the Silver Creek using currant bushes as willows and making "mud" willow "(putting mud on the end of the willow) and would shoot them across the creek at teach other. They all would be plastered width mud before they were through. They also branded toads, taking lizards and cut off their toes and tails. He walked to school at Snowflake Academy and graduated from the Academy. He helped build the old Rock Quary. He sheered sheep at 5 cents a head using a sheering machine. On the road going to Bull Hollow and on to Show Low he walked and put the shoulders on the road.

Mission and Courtship

He was ordained an Elder Sept 11, 1911. He left for the Southern States Mission Sept 27, 1911. He returned from his mission Sept 24, 1913. During his courting days he would ride his bicycle to Woodruff (about 20 miles) to see Lillis Gardner. He married Lillis Irene Gardner October 1, 1915 at the Salt Lake City Temple.

Death

It seems there was an epidemic of typhoid fever. Chester had it and everyone else was given the shots but James wouldn't take the shots. He contracted the fever and died of typhoid fever in Taylor, Arizona, November 8, 1927. He left 3 children; Chester, Ermon, and Ethel.

Photo Gallery

References

• Some history of James Lewis written by Ethel Lewis Blattman, March 2003