James was the son of William & Lucinda (Spencer) Agee. He was a school teacher. William Newton Pace, Superintendent for Butler County schools, hired him to teach school as well as welcoming him into his home to live. This is how James came to meet Delphia and fell hopelessly in love with her.

1870, June 22 - Poplar Bluff Township, Butler Co., MO Federal Census - page 11; dwlg #80/fam #74:
AGEE, William - 59 - Farmer - $700/$578 - VA
Lucinda - 52 - Keeping House - VA
Temperance - 27 - f - At Home - VA
Susan - 23 - f - At Home - VA
JAMES L. -18 - m - At Home - VA
Maliser - 16 - f - At Home - VA
German - 13 - m - At Home - VA
Pollie - 10 - f - At Home - MO
(Note: according to Pollie's birthstate info - looks like the family moved to Missouri between 1857 & 1860)

1876 Butler Co., MO STATE census; Township 25, Range 6, page A74:
AGEE, James L. - age 24 enumerated with a Nunn family - this census was taken to provide an 'every name' enumeration of the population.
Also in this 1876 census living in Township 26, Range 6 [B-5] is
AGEE, John (can't read middle initial) - 24 y/o
AGEE, Wm. F. - age 7
AGEE, Nancy E. - age 5
AGEE, John T. - 7
AGEE, Susan E. - 27
AGEE, S____ (Simpson or Sampson ??) - 6 female
AGEE, Margaret - 13
AGEE, Wm. W. - 27
AGEE, (can't read but looks like starts with 'S' & middle initial is 'S' or 'G' - 2 y/o male
AGEE, John W. - 7
AGEE, Sarena W. - twenty something (can't make it out clearly)
AGEE, Elizabeth - 3
AGEE, Marshall - 2? (Can't make out clearly) male

1880 June 3 - Poplar Bluff, Butler Co., MO census; pg 5 Dwg/Fam #64:
AGEE, Lee J. - 27 - farmer - VA / VA / VA
Perley J. - 19 - sister - keeping house - MO /
NELSON, Martha A. - 16 - (relation, blank) - MO / MO / VA

April 27, 2000 - Delphia's granddaughter, Nellie AGEE WOODS related this story:
James migrated to Butler County as a boy with his parents & siblings. He became a schoolteacher with the recommendation of William N. Pace; who also provided him housing with his family. This was undoubtedly how he met Delphia, as William's wife (Belle) was Delphia's sister.
Mr. Pace tried to advise James against marrying Delphia; warning him about her frailties. For undetermined reasons, Delphia was very weak & would frequently to pass out. She didn't work in the fields or partake of hectic or strenuous festivities - i.e. learning to play music like her other siblings because her parents felt it would be too much for her. James told William that he was prepared to face whatever came their way rather than not be in her life at all. He was hopelessly in love with her.

Butler Co., MO Courthouse Marriage Application Book 4, Page 172 - May 15, 1893
AGEE, James L., Poplar Bluff Twp, Butler Co., Mo. age 21
HALLOWAY, Mrs. Delphia A.,Poplar Bluff Twp, Butler Co., Mo. age 18

Butler Co., MO Marriage Book E
Page 458 15 May 1893
James Lee Agee to Mrs. Delphia Ann Holloway, both of Poplar Bluff Twp. in Butler Co., MO by J. A. Pearce, J. P.

'Daily American Republic' Poplar Bluff, MO newspaper, Mon. June 9, 1969, pg 2 (this article is too long to include all it's contents here but will site the first paragraph):

BUTLER COUNTY HISTORY As Told Bit By Bit by F. R. Longhead
Public Education in Butler County, Part Five, Article 44
The names of the early day teachers seem to have eluded the records entirely. Not until 1869 can we identify a teacher by name, H. McKinnon, Principal, Black River Seminary. The County Court minutes for 1876 contain a few orders in payment of services for teaching as follows: District One, T24, R6 (Poplar Bluff), Wat McNeely and J.A. Ford; District Two, T24, 26, L.H. Simpson; District Four, T24, R6, T. Hasler and District Two, T25, R6, JAMES AGEE.