Regardless of age, diabetes kills.
The future of Heather Lee James lay before her. By all appearances, Heather looked to be healthy, and in the bloom of her life. But Heather knew her diagnosis with diabetes could prove a deadly obstruction to her future happiness.
Though she was young, energetic, and vibrant, Heather was encountering problems already.
The disease had begun to impact her so much that Heather no longer trusted herself to live on her own. Heather moved back into the Ohio home of her parents, Richard Lee & Gretchen James.
The safety of her family circle was not enough to stop what diabetes can do.
Diabetes Sudden Impact
The family had plans for the afternoon on which Heather died. Early that morning, Heather announced she wasn’t feeling well. She returned to bed. As the time to leave grew closer, Richard reminded Heather to get ready.
Downstairs, Gretchen heard Heather enter the bathroom and close the door. She then heard a thud. Gretchen went upstairs to the bathroom to see what happened. Heather had locked the door. Gretchen called to Richard for help.
Richard busted through the door to find Heather lying on the floor, lifeless and barely breathing. Gretchen called for the paramedics and ambulance. Richard held Heather in his arms. When the paramedics arrived, Heather was dead.
The paramedics came to the bathroom doorway and saw Richard standing over Heather’s body. They asked several questions about identification and what happened. Richard was anxious. He knew Heather was dead, but he still held hope the paramedics could help. They asked Richard to wait outside the room. He and Gretchen were too much in shock. It never occurred to them the paramedics first thought they might have arrived at a crime scene. That was October 31, 2008.
Family Affliction of Diabetes
The following Memorial Day, Richard, Gretchen, and Heather’s brother Randy Michael James, drove south to Science Hill, Kentucky for their annual family reunion. Richard remained speechless and numb throughout the day. Everywhere he looked was the reminder of Heather’s presence at the same reunion the year before.
Richard, Gretchen, and Randy returned for the reunion in 2010. Richard finally opened up to tell the story of his daughter’s tragic death. Richard appeared much thinner than he was in years past. He confirmed he was on a diet and exercise program. He had lost 70 pounds. He planned to continue and lose more.
Surprisingly, Richard lifted the backside of his shirt, clear to his neck. There, on his right shoulder, was a tattoo of Heather, as accurate a depiction of Heather as a photo taken of her two years before. Diabetes had stolen Heather from him, but it could not steal his love for her. Richard insured Heather would be with him until the day he dies.
As a 6-year-old boy, Jesse Edwards James Jr. was a witness to the murder of his father, Jesse James. The event impinged on his life forever after. His unruly childhood was brought to heel by both family and community, which included the Crittenden family of Gov. Thomas T Crittenden. It was the family friend Gov. Crittenden who put the bounty on Jesse James that resulted in his killing. Law school and a job in the Crittenden law office directed Jesse Jr. into his future as a lawyer. He did alright until he was solicited into producing a movie about his father. After collecting production money from family, friends, and business associates, the movie flopped. Jesse Jr. assumed responsibility, but he never could never repay the money lost. Severe depression overcame Jesse Jr. He required hospitalization, and then institutionalization. Equilibrium escaped him every living day. He died at age 50 in the care of his loving wife Stella and his four daughters. His grandson Jim Ross, whom he raised with his daughters, became a lawyer and judge.
He has his mother's nose.
That was cool but creepy at the same time. Last photo looked like there was no one home. You can see the change in his eyes.
HAPPY 30TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY to the 2nd great-grandson of Jesse James, David James Ross, and his wife Jessica Lemoine Esq. David & Jessica appear here at their 20th anniversary in Jamaica, and more recently in 2018 supporting their adopted family, the Los Angeles Kings ice hockey team.
FROM SYRIA, ANOTHER BIG SUCCESS FOR STRAY LEAVES!
Todays’ email reads,
“Dear Eric, You will remember that you wrote about my looking for Wanda Mimms, born 1939, daughter of Wyatt Leon Mimms, my step-Uncle. I found her. Her granddaughter saw online what you had written in Stray Leaves. She contacted me and I was able to confirm it was her. Wanda had been adopted but knew her birth name. In the meantime, she died, but I am in contact with 2 of her granddaughters. You have helped me to solve this mystery. Thank you so very much. Lilly Martin”
Lilly Martin Sahiounie is a relation of the Mimms family. She lives in Syria from where she began her search for Virginia Hill Mimms the missing mother of Wanda Mimms.
Below is Lilly’s story from Stray Leaves “ HELP! VIRGINIA HILL MIMMS ESCAPED!” that led to this remarkable discovery.
ericjames.org/wordpress/2019/04/17/virginia-hill-mimms-escaped/
HELP! Virginia Hill Mimms Escaped! – S t r a y L e a v e s
ericjames.org
After leading a burglary ring of children, Virginia Hill Mimms escaped. A distant cousin in Syria pursues Virginia to learn what happened.
ZEE MIMMS JAMES AUTHENTIC PHOTOS ANIMATED . . . Zee was named after Jesse’s mother, Zerelda Cole. Zee and Jesse were first cousins. John M. James was grandfather to them both. Despite the strong family tie, most of the family disapproved of their marriage. Their uncle, Rev. William James a Methodist minister and himself a black sheep among the James, married Zee and Jesse. Zee bore Jesse five children. Two lived to adulthood. A set of twins died soon after birth. A fifth child was miscarried. Zee died at age 55 of neurasthenia, a condition characterized by lassitude, fatigue, headache, and irritability, associated chiefly with emotional disturbance.
youtu.be/C0IaHZtis1o
Impressive
Eerily Amazing 😳 Thank You
BOB FORD AUTHENTIC PHOTOS ANIMATED . . . Yesterday, June 8, 2021, was the 129th anniversary of the murder of Robert Newton Ford by Ed O’Kelley in Creede, Colorado. The murder was the retribution of Bob Ford’s assassination of Jesse James on April 3, 1882. History recalls Ford as "that dirty little coward."
