James Junior Babcock

James Junior Babcock was born in August 1923 in Wilson County, Kansas. He was the youngest of 7 children. He grew up farming with his Dad, and was also taught to fish, hunt and trap. At the death of his father in 1938, he left the 8th grade so he could do the farming and help support his Mom. This was hard because landowners did not want to rent to them because they felt Jim was too young to do the farming on his own.

When Jim was 18, he took the train to Washington and arrived here in 1942 on his 19th birthday. He worked in a cannery after he arrived as he had to wait to get his birth certificate in order to work in the Tacoma shipyards. He always said working in the shipyards; he made more money than he had ever seen on the farm.

Because Jim left the farm he lost his exemption and got his draft notice. He joined the Army on April 23, 1943 being stationed at Fort Lewis, WA. Sept. 20 1943 he left on the Queen Mary from the east coast for England. He was standing guard duty the night D-Day started, 8 days later he would land on Omaha Beach. He spent time in Northern France, Belgium, and Germany. He didn’t ever talk about his time in WWII until we were much older, then small things began to come out and we learned some of what he went through.

After the war he was mustered out on December 25, 1945 here at Fort Lewis, Washington.

He met Joanne and on November 30, 1946 they were married here in Auburn, Washington, where they started a family. Jim and Joanne raised three children, Jim, Jack and Joanne.

Jim became a carpenter apprentice to start with and then became a Carpenter. Later he would do Construction work, working on highways and bridges. He would also later remodel the tiny farm house that he bought from a 2 bedroom house to a 4 bedroom house where he raised his family.

Jim loved working with wood and gardening. He made furniture and wooden bowls. His garden was always large enough to share with the neighbors and family. He loved to go into the woods and pick blackberries, huckleberries, He made pretty good blackberry pies also.

Jim died on August 17, 2017 just days before his 94th birthday.

He was proceeded in death by his wife, parents, 6 siblings and their spouses, a few nieces and nephews.

He leaves behind, his 3 children a daughter-n-law, 7 grandchildren and their spouses, and 14 great grandchildren, also nieces and nephews.

Dad you are gone but will never be forgotten. You leave behind a legacy that we know you will be forever proud of.

Rest in Peace