b. February 20, 1922m. September 20, 1947, Betty Nell Hammons, Jackson, Tenn.
Born February 20, 1922 at Pineville, Rapides Parish, La.; son of Albert Eugene and Antoinette Glover Watlington. Family returned to Jackson, Tenn. in Nov. 1922, living on S. Royal St., Westover, and on Tomlin St. until 1927 when 1017 E. Chester became home for twenty years. Schooling was at College St., Jackson Jr. High and Jackson High, graduating June 1940. Not counting a paper route, State Theater, etc., he started work with J. C. Penney Co., then after a year or so, to Southern Bell Telephone Co. in the business office, on March 16, 1942.
With leave from Southern Bell Telephone Co., he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Camp Robinson, Arkansas with basic training at Blytheville, Arkansas; Aircraft Mechanic School at Gulfport, Miss., and Detroit, Mich. In July 1943, he was assigned to 1st AAC Base Unit at Bolling Field, Washington, D.C. On Feb. 20, 1945, after processing at Greensboro and Camp Anza, Ca., plus a forty-two day voyage to Calcutta, he spent fifteen months at Central India Air Depot at Agra, U.P., India. He left Agra March 4, 1946 for home via Calcutta, Manila, Seattle, and Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. In Army Air Corps Reserve three years and then in the Tennessee National Guard for 14 years, retiring in 1962 as 1st Lieutenant. Employment continued with Bell Telephone in May 1946. Work consisted of various kinds of customer service, residence and business, the latter becoming a marketing position with large businesses through West Tennessee. Later, before retirement in Oct. 1981, he was promoted to Assistant Manager over the coin telephone operation.
James L. married Betty Nell Hammons, who also worked in the Southern Bell Business Office, on September 20, 1947. She later was secretary to attorneys Jimmy Boswell and Ed Duke and then for the Regional Engineer of the Tennessee Department of Transportation until retirement in 1994. Melanie, b. 1949, and Jim (Jr.) b. 1950 were educated in Jackson and Madison County schools, Melanie going on to University of Tennessee at Martin and Jim earning a B.A. from Lambuth University and his Master of Ed. from Memphis State University at Memphis. Melanie married Charles Brasher, M.S., B.S. (U.T. Knoxville) who is now a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserve. Home is Marianna, Florida where Charles is with the University of Florida Extension Service and Melanie is a Media Clerk for the Jackson Co., Fla., School Board. They have one daughter, Alia Catherine, b. 1973 in Hawaii, who received her B.S.; M.S. in Special Education at Florida State in Talahassee in Fall 1996.
Jim married Esther Robertson from Springfield, Illinois. Jim teaches at Jackson-Madison N.E. Middle School and Esther, with a lot of college, has an accounting firm. Their children are Luanna, b. 1990, and Benjamin, b. 1992.
All of his family are very active members of Trinity Methodist (later East Trinity) for many years. There were not more than two or three positions which one or more of them did not hold. Jim was Choir Director, organist and pianist for twenty-five years. Melanie joined Charles in Baptist Church and both are active.
James Leonard Watlington was elected five times and appointed once to the Madison County Court (Justice of the Peace), later the County Commission. On it he served as Chairman Pro Tem, member of Budget Committee and as liaison to Board of Education Counseling Center, Ambulance Authority, Development Disabilities and many ad hoc committees. Ending this seventeen year hitch, he was appointed to the Jackson-Madison County Regional Planning Commission and the Southwest Tennessee Human Resources Policy Council, positions currently held.
He is a life member in Veterans of Foreign Wars and Telephone Pioneers of America. They currently live at 16 Pepper Ridge Cove, Jackson, TN, 38305.
-- James L. Watlington, March 6, 1996