JAMES, FAY BEE AND SALLIE DEAN (HOLLAND)

by Wesley James

Entry F221 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Fay and Sally James - 1954. 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Fay James was born in Grayson Co.,
Independence, Virginia in 1880. Between
1880 & 1887 his folks, Steve & Virginia,
migrated to Texas. In 1887 they left Texas by
covered wagon (it was said the wagon was
pulled by a mule & oxen) and arrived at
Mullen, NE in 1888. They lived in a dugout
about 7 miles northwest of Mullen until a sod
house was built 10 miles northeast of Mullen
where Steve homesteaded.

Fay remained at home with his parents
until 1904, at which time he homesteaded one
mile east of his father's home and started his
ranching operation which he continued at
this location until his death in 1956.

In 1903 Sallie Dean Holland, born and
raised in Grayson Co., Pottsboro, Texas,
arrived in Mullen where she worked for Hugh
& Sarah Boyer for a few months.

In 1904 Fay & Sallie were married at
Thedford, NE and made their home on Fay's
homestead 11 miles northeast of Mullen. To
this union 9 children were born. One son,
Eugene, owns and operates his grandfather's
and father's homesteads today.

In 1919 Fay & Sallie moved to mullen for
high school for oldest daughter, Clara, and at
this time ventured into the dairy business
and bought & sold hogs. After 2 yrs. Fay
purchased the home at north end of main
street where the dairy & hog operation
continued until 1927. The hog operation was
a thriving business until Cholera got into the
herd, killing 75 to 100.

They milked 35 to 40 cows and delivered
by team & buggy to the residents and
businesses in Mullen. The team learned the
route well enough that they knew where to go
and when to stop so needed little driving. The
James kids trailed along after the buggy
making the deliveries at each house. The milk
business went well with the hog business. If
there was any extra milk, there was a good
depository for it.

Fay bought hogs from people in the area
and shipped them by CB&Q railroad to
Omaha. At times he shipped 10 to 15 carloads
a week. Fay was still active in ranching at this
time so Sallie had to do the weighting &
buying of the hogs much of the time. Scales
& pens were close to the house where the hogs
were weighed & penned. When one or more
carloads were accumulated, they were driven
thru mainstreet across railroad tracks to
stockyards by using any help Fay could get.
Sometimes there were good foot races be-
tween hogs & herders - the hogs often won.
They were loaded on a stockcar and sent to
Omaha market.

In 1927 Fay discontinued his operations in
Mullen and moved his family back to the
ranch where he continued his ranching until
he retired and moved back to Mullen in 1955.
His death in 1956 at age 76 cut his retirement
short.

Sallie lived 25 years after Fay's death,
dying in 1981 at the age of 99 years and 6
months.