Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Was it not for Ruby Tidwell-Johnson, few of our James family would know about the descendants of John James of Alvarado, his story, & the story of his line. Ruby is the wife of Dennis Lee Johnson, a James family descendant.
For years, Ruby meticulously compiled a history of her husband’s family. Ruby not only collected the required genealogy of names, dates, & places of individuals, spouses, children, and their births, marriages, deaths, & burials, Ruby also collected the family lore & stories attached to John James of Alvarado & his descendants, that cause their history to live and be relevant today. Over the years, Ruby generously has shared what she learned among her James relatives.
Prior to the start of Stray Leaves’ publication in 1997, Ruby also shared the history & genealogy she collected with Stray Leaves author Eric James. In turn, her information has been shared countless times among other members of the James family who found their way to the James family’s web site, & among a public drawn to the James family’s story.
Ruby is not the only in-law to reveal the history of the James. In the twelve years of research conducted by Eric James, many times Eric encountered in-laws of the James who knew more about the James than the James knew about themselves. Except for those in-laws found among the line of Frank & Jesse James, who felt stigmatized by their marriage relationship and did not want it made known they were related to the notorious outlaws through marriage or any other way, James in-laws outside that line were more than willing to share what they knew. In some cases, they revealed family secrets unknown to the James themselves.
Some of what Ruby Tidwell-Johnson collected soon will find its way into Eric James’ epic, new history of the James family Jesse James Soul Liberty, Vol. I, Behind the Family Wall of Stigma & Silence. In the book’s “Acknowledgements” chapter, Ruby is appreciatively cited as a valued keeper of the James family’s history, for whom many are grateful.
PEDIGREE
Dennis Lee Johnson & Ruby Tidwell
. Lecil Johnson & Fredda Louise James
.. Jackson Waite James & Maggie Dozier Fitzgerald
… John James, of Alvarado & Mary Elizabeth Rosaline “Ross” Bradley
…. Cyrentius Waite James & Amanda Jane “Manda” Hall
….. Rev. Joseph Martin James & Rhoda May
…… John M. James & Clarissa “Clara/Clary” Nalle