Barney Paul James Sr.

Thank you for a tasty lunch.

Barney showed me how to pick figs so my mom could make preserves.
I will miss seeing you in the garden.

Barney James was the finest craftsman I have ever known! His dedication to the techniques for basket making from ages gone by was remarkable, and his oak baskets were fantastic. The whimsical birdhouses he made were fantastic too! He was a great friend to me and my parents Frank & Shirley Gore.

Our Paw Paw loved his family immensely. Even at 91, he loved taking my girls out to the backyard to show them around the log cabin, water well, garden, and his cats. He used to do the same with us cousins, his grandkids. I know we all have found memories of playing back there. He would even make us a fire in the cabin so we could “cook” whatever leaves and sticks we found. We enjoyed our time with him and Granny J on camping trips in their RV, and exploring all the local historical spots. I remember visiting him at craft fairs, as he put on shows and taught others the trade of making baskets. He often took me along to his daily morning breakfast run, where all the local men would come to chat and enjoy a cup of coffee before starting their day. He loved a good breakfast spot, we even had one we went to when he visited us in Texas. He used to pick me up from daycare and school, and bring me back to his house for a plate of freshly fried squash and okra. When we needed a break from outside, he would set me up in the living room with a bag full of freshly picked green beans from his garden and an empty bowl to snap the beans into. We would watch tv while we worked, either checking how the money was doing (stocks), an old western movie, the news, or Judge Judy. I wish I could give him one more “hug around his neck”(as he would always say). Thank you Paw Paw for everything.