James Rightman Blanks was born March 21, 1937 at Hohenwald, TN; son of William Ezekiel Blanks and Lillie Norine Harrell. William was born in 1902 near Trezevant, TN; son of Robert Young Blanks (1868-1954) and Iona Estelle Johnson (1870-1910). William married in 1933 to Lillie Norine Harrell; daughter of Elmer H. Harrell (1875-1968) and Lilla Browne Harvey (1881-1924). Norine was born in 1907 at McLemoresville, TN and died in 1993 at Maryville, TN. Billy bought and operated a clothing store in McKenzie, TN from 1951 to 1955. Upon the death of his father in 1954, William purchased the family farm near Trezevant, TN. Billy and Norine lived on the family farm until his death on Sept. 2, 1972. Norine was a 1926 graduate of the University of Chattanooga and a retired teacher.
James attended high school at McKenzie, TN and graduated in 1955. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in the college of engineering in the fall of 1955. James was married on Sept. 13, 1959 at McKenzie, TN to Janice Dean Webb, born March 17, 1938 at McKenzie, TN; daughter of Athol Billy Webb (1911-1947) and Vaughnell Brush (1915-2009) both of Weakley County TN. Janice died at Tullahoma on Nov. 15, 1992. James and Janice graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1960 with BS degrees in mechanical engineering and education respectively. Upon graduation James accepted a position with Union Carbide Nuclear Company at Oak Ridge, TN. James accepted a position at AEDC in December of 1962, and the family moved to Tullahoma, TN. James has worked primarily in the hypervelocity range facilities at AEDC and has been associated with operations, research, and project management. James retired from AEDC in 1999 with 36 years of service. James and Janice had three children. Lisa Karen Blanks was born June 2, 1961 at Knoxville, TN and has attended Motlow College and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in commercial art. Lisa married Mark Alan Ellis on Sept. 7, 1991 in Tullahoma and the family lives in Manchester, TN. James Harrell Blanks was born March 15, 1963 in Nashville, TN and attended David Lipscomb College. James Harrell is a graduate of the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN with a practice at Tullahoma. James Harrell was married on Oct. 14, 1989 in McMinnville, TN to June Ellen Schlimmer. Laura Leigh Blanks was born July 28, 1967 in Nashville, attended David Lipscomb College and is a 1991 graduate of the University of Tennessee Pharmacy School. Laura married May 28, 1994 to William Randolph Allen and the family lives in Dunlap, TN.
James was married to Carolyn Deaton, the widow of David Rudolph Howell (1948-1994), on July 21, 1995 in Tullahoma, TN. Carolyn was born July 11, 1949 in Tullahoma; the daughter of James Henry Deaton (1924-2001) and Vennie Kathryn James (1925-1984). James and Carolyn moved to a condo in Manchester in 2003.

James Rightman Blanks was born March 21, 1937 at Hohenwald, TN; son of William Ezekiel Blanks and Lillie Norine Harrell. William was born in 1902 near Trezevant, TN; son of Robert Young Blanks (1868-1954) and Iona Estelle Johnson (1870-1910). William married in 1933 to Lillie Norine Harrell; daughter of Elmer H. Harrell (1875-1968) and Lilla Browne Harvey (1881-1924). Norine was born in 1907 at McLemoresville, TN and died in 1993 at Maryville, TN. Billy bought and operated a clothing store in McKenzie, TN from 1951 to 1955. Upon the death of his father in 1954, William purchased the family farm near Trezevant, TN. Billy and Norine lived on the family farm until his death on Sept. 2, 1972. Norine was a 1926 graduate of the University of Chattanooga and a retired teacher.
James attended high school at McKenzie, TN and graduated in 1955. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in the college of engineering in the fall of 1955. James was married on Sept. 13, 1959 at McKenzie, TN to Janice Dean Webb, born March 17, 1938 at McKenzie, TN; daughter of Athol Billy Webb (1911-1947) and Vaughnell Brush (1915-2009) both of Weakley County TN. Janice died at Tullahoma on Nov. 15, 1992. James and Janice graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1960 with BS degrees in mechanical engineering and education respectively. Upon graduation James accepted a position with Union Carbide Nuclear Company at Oak Ridge, TN. James accepted a position at AEDC in December of 1962, and the family moved to Tullahoma, TN. James has worked primarily in the hypervelocity range facilities at AEDC and has been associated with operations, research, and project management. James retired from AEDC in 1999 with 36 years of service. James and Janice had three children. Lisa Karen Blanks was born June 2, 1961 at Knoxville, TN and has attended Motlow College and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in commercial art. Lisa married Mark Alan Ellis on Sept. 7, 1991 in Tullahoma and the family lives in Manchester, TN. James Harrell Blanks was born March 15, 1963 in Nashville, TN and attended David Lipscomb College. James Harrell is a graduate of the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN with a practice at Tullahoma. James Harrell was married on Oct. 14, 1989 in McMinnville, TN to June Ellen Schlimmer. Laura Leigh Blanks was born July 28, 1967 in Nashville, attended David Lipscomb College and is a 1991 graduate of the University of Tennessee Pharmacy School. Laura married May 28, 1994 to William Randolph Allen and the family lives in Dunlap, TN.
James was married to Carolyn Deaton, the widow of David Rudolph Howell (1948-1994), on July 21, 1995 in Tullahoma, TN. Carolyn was born July 11, 1949 in Tullahoma; the daughter of James Henry Deaton (1924-2001) and Vennie Kathryn James (1925-1984). James and Carolyn moved to a condo in Manchester in 2003.