James
Colmore Masters was born on March 15, 1863 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
He was the second of seven children born to James Alfred and Sarah Jane
Stader Masters.
James married Lethia E. Peck on February 25, 1886. Their infant daughter was born and died on March 10, 1887. For reasons unknown but suspected to be the result of complications from childbirth, Lethia died on July 10, 1887 at the age of 18.
James married Rebecca Hazeltine Day on January 20, 1892. James and "Tina" had four children: Charlie A. (born on January 13, 1893), Bessie Mae (born June 12, 1896), Virgil James (born April 24, 1898), and Elmer Lee (born May 27, 1901). James' father passed away on May 12, 1898 and just weeks later, tragedy stuck when Charlie died from an infection that set in after breaking his arm a couple of months earlier.
James was a farmer and blacksmith. On days when weather did not permit farming, he usually worked in his shop. And if the weather was exceptionally nice, he didn't mind going hunting or fishing! He helped care for his Mother's place and farmed properties in addition to his own. He apparently purchased the first baler in the area and was more than willing to help others bale their hay. He installed and maintained the first telephone lines for himself and his neighbors and was diligent in attending the Quarterly Telephone Meeting. He voted every November and enjoyed a hunting trip on many Christmas days. It is amazing how often and far he traveled given that his transportation was primarily horseback until the second half of his adult life. He enjoyed being with friends and family and remained well-informed on the events of his day.
James kept a daily journal for much of his life. Five volumes remain in existence. In his early adulthood, the journal was probably a farm tool as he kept track of weather conditions and farm activity. He also included many community births, deaths and marriages and occasionally news. Many entries occupied just a single line for the day and emotion was never shared. For several months, Tina wrote the daily entries in the journal but her style and format did not waver from her husband's. We can only wonder why she took over this task for awhile.
Tina passed away on June 16, 1915 at the age of 42 after suffering for several years with tuberculosis. The day after she was buried, James was back at work on the farm. Grief stuck his immediate family a final time when Bessie died on February 16, 1929.
James died on December 27, 1940 and was buried the following day next to Tina at Sycamore Cemetery in Hardin County.