James "Jim" Tait

James "Jim" Tait

James "Jim" Tait
James "Jim" Tait was born December 23, 1886, to Hettie Tait and a white man named (that was passed as) John Dukes. Jim married Irene Marshall in 1905, who was the oldest child and daughter of Nellie (Lee) Marshall and George Marshall. Jim was 19 years old when he married Irene and she was 21.Jim is the first child of Hettie Tait.

It was passed down that Jim's father was name John Dukes. But, research suggests that there was no John Dukes in Burnt Corn during that time frame. Oral history passed down that Jim's father was a white man and the son of "Old Man" Dukes and he had two boys. Research revealed that there was A.G. Dukes living in the area and he was a farmer and a merchant and he and his wife Rebecca Nash had four children: two boys and two girls. The two boys were named Frank and Willie. There are reasons to believe that one of those two boys is the father, but which one?

Hettie who later married a black man and they had nine other kids. Jim siblings are Prince, Sandy, Osborne, Frank, Renitha, Lube, Shepard, and Alberta.

Jim and Irene also had nine children of their own to include: Ruby Leigh (1905-1925), Garfield (1906-1931), John David (1908-1967, Roger Lorenzo (1910-1983), Maggie (1913-2003), Annie Coleman (1914-2007), Earlene (1915-2013), Hettie (1919-2011), and Verlie Rebecca (1923-1935). James "Jim" Tait died on May 28, 1949, and is buried in the Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery. Jim's half brother Prince died in 1938 and Jim was 52 years old. His mother Hettie passed away on May 26, 1949 in Burnt Corn, Alabama, at the age of 85. Jim also died of a heart attack in on May 26, 1949 and is buried at the Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery. Research suggests that Jim Tait and his mother Hettie Tait died on the same day but we believe that not true.

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