James McMullin Gaines and Sons, ca. 1910
Georgia County Heritage Books
Colquitt County
JAMES McCRAY GAINES, SR.
James McCray Gaines (15 Mar 1900-11 Feb 1972) was the eighth child born to James McMullin
Gaines (13 Sep 1856-14 July 1938) and Alice Caldwell Gaines ( 8 Feb 1863-18 Jan 1932). He was born in Tift
County, Georgia on his parents' wedding anniversary.
James McMullin Gaines and Sons, ca. 1910
Four years later another son was born to this
family who had lost one daughter in infancy and another daughter when she was twelve years old, so
that only seven siblings were reared to adulthood. The family moved into Colquitt Co. before 1910 to sharecrop
farms in the Oakdale community.
James McCray married Vera Lee Batts of the Cool Springs community Sunday, 17 Oct 1926 and they started married life living in the house with his parents. Later the couple moved into a small house on the Eugene Adams farm near Norman Park where they lived for several years. James and Vera now were parents of three children: James McCray, Jr. (15 Aug 1927), Dorothy Nell (7 Feb 1931) and Carroll Dean (7 June 1934). The daughter recalls a dramatic incident that occurred one summer afternoon while neighbors were visiting her parents on the front porch. She took her toddler brother by the hand and they walked to the nearby tobacco barn. Carroll walked through hot ashes that had been pulled from the furnace and was badly burned.
James made a down-payment on a farm near Vera’s parents, Amos James and Mary Crosby Batts. Letters written by Vera revealed that after crops were gathered in 1937, they “couldn’t make full payment but have it arranged satisfactory to all”. Their tobacco was sold in Adel with most of it selling for above 30 cents, “just didn’t have much of it”. They had five bales of cotton; “there was so much made it sold cheap aplenty”.
A 26 Aug letter told that James had gone to the hot springs in Cotton Wood, AL for a week because of an inflamed nerve in his leg. A 15 Oct letter reported him “no better, no worse”. This letter also alerted that Vera was in bed with “malaria fever and womb problem”. She died five days later following surgery. James gave up the farm and moved into the house with younger brother, Edward Hallie Gaines, and his family who lived on the J. B. Shepherd estate near Sigsbee. He took his three-year-old son with him, while James, Jr. and Dot went to five with Vera’s brother, Percy Batts. James managed the Shepherd farm since Ed worked in Moultrie.
This arrangement continued until James married Lena Pearl Summerlin who became 19 years old the week following her wedding on 29 Sep 1939. Brother Ed moved his family to Moultrie and James brought his two older children home.
Six children were born to James and Pearl: Jo Ann (12 Oct 1940), Thomas Arthur (04 Oct 1942-20 Aug 1996), Rayford Lamar (19 June 1944), Donald Monroe (30 Aug 1946), Michael Allan (19 Sep 1948) and Gary Lynwood (10 Jan 1952).
All nine of James’ children married and had families. James, Jr. and Carroll were in service during World War II. Tommy, Ray and Don served in the Vietnam War. Each returned home physically sound. Dot earned the master’s degree in education and taught 31 years in public schools. This large family enjoyed getting together for any occasion but their favorite time was 15 March, their dad’s birthday. James, Vera and Pearl are buried in the Oakdale Cemetery near his parents; his oldest brother, Henry Hinton (1884-1919); sisters, Valerie (1889-1978) and Emma Lou (1891-1942) and son, Tommy.
(592 words)
Note: a charge of 10˘ would apply to 92 words = $9.20 for a non-pioneer family
Submitted by: Dot Gaines Mims, 1595 Old Doerun Rd., Moultrie, GA 31768. E-mail: dotgmims@alltel.net
Sources: Census, county records, letters by Vera B. Gaines.
