Michael James

Ancestors

Son of Fred James and Margaret Ann (Welsh) James

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Biography

Michael F. James was born on November 6, 1971 at the US Army hospital in Bad Cannstatt (Stuttgart), Germany to Fred James and Margaret (Welsh) James. At the age of 3, the family, including oldest son Mitchell James, moved to Aberdeen, Maryland. At the age of 6, they returned to Germany. While living in Schwabach, Michael attended Nuremburg Elementary. After third grade, the family moved to Leesville, Louisiana where Michael attended fourth grade at Fort Polk Elementary. Upon his father's retirement from the Army, the family settled in Lucas, Ohio where they would stay through Michael's graduation from high school.

After high school, Michael worked at Cedar Point amusement park in the Games Department before attending one year of college at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio. After Hiram, he worked another summer at Cedar Point before moving to Republic, Kansas to work as a hand on the farm of Max Thayer. He worked there for 6 months before returning to college at Judson College in Elgin, Illinois in January of 1991. He left Judson in January of 1992 and briefly worked on a farm in Ashland, Ohio before enlisting in the US Navy.

Michael was sent to boot camp in Orlando, Florida in July 1992 graduating from Company C132 in September 1992 as the company's Yeoman with the rank of Fireman (E-3). He stayed in Orlando for Nuclear Field A-School and Nuclear Power School and was promoted to Machinist's Mate 3rd class (E-4). While a student in Nuclear Power School, Michael applied for and received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy from the Secretary of the Navy. Michael reported to the Naval Academy in June 1993 and was sworn in as a midshipman on July 1, 1993. Michael graduated from the Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in English on May 23, 1997 and was commissioned an Ensign (O-1) in the US Navy. Having been accepted to the Navy's Voluntary Graduate Education Program (VGEP), he began graduate studies at the University of Maryland in January of 1997. After graduation from the Naval Academy, Michael moved to College Park, Maryland to complete his studies. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a Master of Arts degree in English in December 1997.

More importantly, while visiting his brother (who was living in Redding, California) during Christmas of that year, Michael met and fell in love with Candace Darling. Michael proposed in January of 1998 and, Candace having accepted, they planned a May 23, 1998 wedding in Mansfield, Ohio. In the meantime, Michael moved to Newport, Rhode Island to attend Surface Warfare Officer school. Michael subsequently received orders to USS O'BRIEN (DD-975) stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. He was to meet the ship in the Persian Gulf in June of 1998, shortly after his planned marriage. In order for Candace to complete her required screenings to accompany Michael overseas, they accelerated plans for their wedding and were married at the courthouse in Newport, Rhode Island on April 8, 1998. Friends and shipmates of Michael were in attendance. A small reception was held afterwards at the Brick Alley Pub.

Michael and Candace were married before God and in front of family and friends at Diamond Hills Baptist Church in Mansfield, Ohio on May 23, 1998. Soon after, Michael reported to O'BRIEN were he served as M-Division Officer, Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA), and Assistant Chief Engineer. In September 1998, Candace joined him in Japan. They lived in a Japanese house in the Itopia section of the town of Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture. In November of 1999, they welcomed their first child, Carter James. During this time, Michael was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade (O-2).

In March 2000, the new family transferred to San Diego, California where Michael served as Navigator on USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CG-57). During this time, he was promoted to Lieutenant (O-3). In 2002, they left San Diego and moved to Omaha, Nebraska where Michael was the Operations Officer at the Military Entrance Processing Station. Soon after arriving in Omaha, a daughter, Regan James was born. On March 31, 2004, Michael separated from the Navy and began a career as an independent financial advisor with Waddell & Reed. In January of 2006, another daughter, Monroe James, was born. In 2007, he became a Certified Financial Planner and was named a District Manager. In 2010, he sold his business and accepted the position of Executive Vice President at Grace University. In July 2013, he left Grace University and the family moved to Dakar, Senegal were Michael worked as the Business Manager at Dakar Academy. In 2015, they returned to the United States and moved to Mountain Lake, Minnesota where Michael served as the Administrator of Mountain Lake Christian School. Michael received his Doctor of Education degree from Creighton University in August 2015. In 2018, the family moved to Hillsboro, Kansas and Michael became the Vice President for Business and Finance at Tabor College.

Sources

• First-hand information entered by Michael James.
• Paternal relationship confirmed by an Ancestry DNA test match between Michael and his first cousin, Paul Frontz. The test confirms them as first cousins based on sharing 747 cM across 34 segments.
• Maternal relationship confirmed by an Ancestry DNA test match between Michael and his third cousin, James Welch. The test confirms them as third cousins based on sharing 60 cM across 4 segments.