James Tarleton

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Biography

I was born at home in Grove Hill, Alabama in the Old Jarvis Home on the Whatley Road in 1947. I had two brothers and three sisters, and I was second in line with an older sister. I spent a great deal of time with my grandfather, Bootsie Tarleton, who lived on the road to Walker Springs. We were very family oriented and had family gatherings at Bootsie's home on many weekends. I seldom saw my father and knew little about him, and my mother worked for the Clarke County Democrat. She and Mr. George Carleton were very good friends. I hung around the Democrat office as often as I could. I also had a paper route (not the Democrat).

Grove Hill was the ultimate little town complete with town square. I was related to a big portion of the community. Grove Hill was a rough little town, my own grandfather was murdered. Growing up there was an education within itself. If you could afford a new car every year, you were considered wealthy. We were about as poor as one could get.

My mother was a Jarvis/Duke and my father a Tarleton/Paul. My mother hated Grove Hill and we moved to Starkville, MS, home of Mississippi State University, in 1963. I graduated with a Master's degree in engineering. I joined the United States Marine Corps in 1969 and served a tour in Vietnam. I had three careers, one in the oil and gas industry, one in the uranium mining industry, and one in the renewable fuels industry. I married twice. I have three daughters and one son, all by different mothers to whom I married only one. I now have a four years old great grand daughter who is adorable.

I had a very active life. I would work for four years and quit for a year. I once spent a year on a south Texas ranch by myself (The Frankie Ranch on the old Eagle Pass road between Eagle Pass and Uvalde, Texas. I spent a couple of years as a non-commissioned deputy sheriff of Dewitt County, Texas under Sheriff Wayne Mills. I lived most of my adult life in Corpus Chrisit, Texas. I was a beach bum on weekends. I retired to the small community of Burgaw, NC in 2010. I live on a non-working small farm with my dog Boo and my horse Niki.

Ya'll drop in some time. Tie your dog to the porch and we'll talk about the old days while sipping some Earl Grey ice tea.

Sources

• First-hand information. Entered by James Tarleton at registration.