Carey James was born on July 14, 1929 in San Antonio. She passed away in Houston on Nov. 24, 2015 at the age of 86. She was raised in Cuero and was crowned a princess in the 1947 Cuero Turkey Trot. Many of her summers were spent in Monterey, California with her father, stepmother and sister. She attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas where she met her future husband of 56 years, R. Blair James. She was a member of the Zeta Sorority at Southwestern. Carey and Blair were married in 1949 and because of Blair’s oilfield career; the growing family subsequently lived in Kenedy, Pleasanton, Cuero, San Antonio, Mcallen, Corpus Christi and Houston.
She was pre-deceased by: husband R. Blair James, mother Janie Bell White Turner and father Tommy Turner and stepmother Peggy Foster mother Anna Belle Burns Haak and father Julius Haak, sister Abigail Turner Macdonald and husband Mc Mcdonald and niece Linda Gliebe.
She is survived by: daughter, Barbara Gail Fuller, sons, R. Blair James Jr. and W. Brad James and wife Janet, grandchildren R. Blair James III and wife Rachel Erin James Johnson and husband Seth M. Turner James and Caroline James, sister-in-law Barbara Hartley, brother-in-law Bill Hartley, nephews Dennis and Doak Hartley and niece Marsha Frary, nephew Thomas Mcdonald, nieces Patricia Tognietti, Laura Smith and Susie Banks.
The love of her life was her family and everything she did centered around her children and grandchildren. Carey’s formative years were spent growing up during the great depression, and she never forgot the hardships the family experienced during those trying times. Regardless, she and Blair worked hard to ensure that their children had all the things that they didn’t have growing up and made sure everyone went to college. Just prior to her passing, she was elated to find out that her oldest grand daughter, Erin, is expecting her first child.
One of her main interests was Texas history. She was extremely proud of her Texas heritage and is from a pioneering Texas family with history dating back prior to 1820 when texas was part of Mexico. Her ancestors fought in almost every battle of the Texas Revolution. Her great-grandmother was in the “run-away-scrape” shortly after the fall of the Alamo. Later her great-grandfather founded the Chisholm Trail and her grandfather made seven trail drives. Her current home in Cuero was built with the proceeds from his last drive in the late 1880’s. She was involved in the founding of the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum in Cuero and was honored at the “ladies of legend” luncheon in 2014.
Visitation was from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27 at First Presbyterian Church. Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28 at First Presbyterian Church of Cuero, 302 N. Mcleod, Cuero, Texas, 77954. Funeral arrangements were made by Freund Funeral Home, Cuero, Texas.
Pallbearers were Doug Dougherty, David Dodds, Jim Millan, Blair James III, Turner James and Seth Johnson. Honorary pallbearers were Dennis Hartley, Doak Hartley, Earl Chancellor, Tyler Barrett, Todd Dodds, Nick Vafiadias, Steve Spencer and Daryl Landry.
Memorial contributions can be made to the charity of your choice or the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum or the First Presbyterian Church of Cuero. The family wishes to express its sincere appreciation to her caregivers at the Abbey West Houston Hospital and Kindered Care Town and Country during these trying times. They also appreciate the many thoughts and prayers her friends and family expressed over the past few weeks.
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