James Bleess was born in New London, Connecticut. Moved to St Thomas in the Virgin Islands for a year then moved to Iowa. I remember living in Grandview, Iowa, I remember my 3rd birthday, 1949. We lived in a modest house near the Iowa river. Esther (mom) and I looked for the house a couple years ago. There are only so many appropriate streets at 90 degrees to the river downstream from the highway and it was not to be found. There are changes in 70 years. Later we moved to Burlington, Iowa. Esther and Hilton divorced. Mom worked downtown Burlington at the paper company, I stayed at a day nursery for the days. I was never fond of this, I notice a particular smell (boiling hot dogs)to this day that takes me right back to that place in my memory. It is apartments today, a huge nursery rhyme painting adorned the outside wall for 50 years, gone now. We lived on the top floor of a brick apartment building on 3th street at Elm, three blocks across the railroad. Later we moved in with Elnora Wallace, Esther's Mom, my Grandmother. This was the house on Etna Street. Grandpa David Wallace divorced Elnora, yet bought her a huge House as a boarding house for her to have livelihood. I remember this place, it figures large in Esther's and my own memory even though we lived there only a while. Here Esther met Maurice Bleess. I turned 6 there.
Presently we moved to a farm outside of Grandview. This was the George Hookey place, it was 1952. A keen memory was an Edison hand crank (momentum) record player. Esther and I played cylinder records. Another farm over the bluff toward the Muscatine slough was the Silly place, Grandpa David lived there. These are also a part of my memory. David F Wallace built the bridge over the slough by hand from tree logs and raw lumber. We drove over this may times. No plan, no inspection no approval, this is how things were done. All this was less than 3 years but time expanded, a lot of life happened there.
We moved to Brighton, Iowa in January, 1953. I grew up in Brighton from age 7 to age 14, We moved to Tucson, Arizona, December, 1960 arriving Dec. 31st. That journey was a real out west experience for me. I loved the plains and wide open spaces. Arriving, I stepped out of the car, a 1953 Kaiser, shut the door, took one look around and said. I'm here. I meant it and I love Tucson to this day. 1963 I joined the Army one day after my 17th birthday. In the Army I earned a GED in 5 hours, 5 tests, I passed each one, first time, cold! 1966 I was out and later worked at Boeing in Renton, Washington. Big factory life wasn't me even though it paid well. 1968 I worked on the 1700 foot level of San Manuel Mine and underground mining wasn't my thing either. 1970 I was hired on the Tucson Fire Department. I loved Fire Station life as much as I loved Tucson and the surrounding desert. I never knew a day that I did not want to go to work! 35 years later I retired as a Fire Captain and worked for Arizona Historical Society almost 7 years. At present I regularly attend church as a United Methodist. I'm 73 and have a few adventures left.

I was appointed as a Certified Lay Minister UMC after 4 1/2 years of part time courses, some in house, many on line. I have preached many sermons, of course I think they are all good. My last one, on Heresy, is the best, better to come. A good way to celebrate 75 years!

April 29, 21 Melinda passed away a couple days ago. It was so unexpected. She is gone and missed. There is an end to this program; if that ye knew it!