Name Game: Jimmy Jam's and Jacks

Here I go again, thanks to cousin Mauriette who read a blog I wrote about her grandparents Otto and Thelma Williams Whitfield. 

I told her that I needed to get on the stick and put something up soon. 

So when I passed a hamburger place I came up with Jimmy’s, Jams, and Jacks.

Jimmy Jacks:

We lived back behind the Capitol in Phoenix and there were several places we stopped to pick up some hamburgers, tacos, tostados or a hot dog. 

One place in particular was Jimmy Jacks, a long time staple on Van Buren on the west side of town. 

It has been years and years since I bought anything from there. My loose change went ther when I walked home from High School where I attended Carl Hayden. 

I thought I would google to see if it were still around.

Oh, it was there alright, but the place does not really look as I remember.  

Places make changes as well as people and things. Some stay as they are and some make changes for the better. 

Jimmy:

Jimmy with a Y bought to mind a home-going celebration for another Phoenix Staple known to many in the Phoenix area as Jimmy Hunter. 

Jimmy was born as James Hunter in Laurens South Carolina to parents Ernest and Lulee.  
       

Here is a 1930 Census that shows Jimmy and parents at two years old.

Just to be sure I had Jimmie’s family I went to the 1940  census and found his parents and others. 

                                   

I think I was so intrigued not because of Jimmy alone but because of my search for great greats and beyond who were in South Carolina before they were in Texas.

And here I actually knew someone in the flesh who was from South Carolina. 

I wish that I had known that he was from South Carolina. I would have bugged the heck out of him for some of the history. 

Jimmy came to Phoenix and stayed after his stint at Williams Air Force Base in Chandler Arizona.

He married Willa Mae aka Billie who complimented him as a daughter in the Elks. They then complimented each other when they brought into their world a daughter Jimetta.

He got involved in the Elks Lodge #477 where he was voted in as the Exalted Ruler of the William H Patterson Improved Benevolent Elks of the World in Phoenix at least 5 times over the years. 

This guy always had a smile on his face and made people feel just as special as he was.

Phoenix lost a giant among giants when he clocked in at the eleventh hour to join his wife Willia Mae in heaven.

Jams:

My favorite jam is strawberry but like all things I gave up on a regular basis was the sweet taste that I heaped on a slice of toast or between two pieces of bread.

                My other favorite jam is anything old school.

    Jam’s like Jackie Wilson’s Stop Dogging Me Around

Wolf-man Jack played jams at night from Del Rio Texas

 Jackie Moore sang the heck out of Precious Precious.

Songs like Rhythm Nation and Miss You So Much sung by Janet Jackson were produced by the very talented duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Who can’t forget when President Obama slow jammed the news on Jimmy Fallon’s show?

Jacks: 
I know I have to start with these

 I have memories of my mother playing with me and she was pretty good. 

I must say though that she probably played with my sister more because I was more of a Hop Scotch and Red Rover, Red Rover kind of girl.

Jack in The Bean Stalk:  Everyone heard the story of Jack the poor lil English kid who had to sell his mother’s cow to make ends meet. Fe fi FO Fum.

Enough said about this fairy tale, listed below is the real deal, no fairy tale there.

Jack The Slave:

Aaron thanks you Jack for volunteering to serve in his place  in the United States Colored Troops. 

                                           Fold3  USCT     

You were both slaves of Robert Welch in Jefferson County Hays Springs Kentucky.

You signed up to take his place at 27 years old. I wish I knew what propelled you to switch places but whatever the reason Thank you for your service.

Kentucky Jack:

Thank you also Jack from Louisville Kentucky for also volunteering to take someone’s place and fight in the war. 

                                             
 An 18 year old who must have been awful brave to go and substitute for Wm A Smith. I don’t think he was a slave like you though because he had a full name. 

                                                       (excerpt)
                           
The good thing is that you signed up in January 7^th 1865, the waning days of the war. But no way for you to know that.

                                           (excerpt)

I pray you made it home safely, married a good woman and had children who were proud of you. Thank you for your service also Jack

Those J’s sure bought out some good memories. 

I hope that the J’s who walked in this land during the civil war and fought in the United States Colored Troops know that you are not forgotten.  

Source Citation
Year 1930;Census Place:Laurens,Laurens,South Carolina;Roll:2202;Page:2B;Enumeration District:0023;image:916;FHL microfilm:2341936

Source Citation
Year 1940;Census Place: Laurens,Laurens, South Carolina; Roll:T627_3821;7B Enumeration District:30-24

The 26th U.S. Colored Volunteer Infantry on parade, Camp Williams Penn, PA, 1865-C-692 National Archives Identifer:533126

Milton Holland: 5th United States Colored Infantry Congressional Medal Of Honor Winner

Another true hero in the battle for freedom is Milton Holland. For his bravery at the battle of Chapin's Farm in Virginia he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on April 6, 1865.
Milton took over command of the 5th United States Colored Infantry troops after all of the officers had been killed. Even though wounded he led his troops to victory

Milton Holland was an 18 year old when he registered to serve. He was born in Austin Texas around 1845. He states in this record that he was freed before 1861. Milton was formerly owned by Spearman Holland of the Holland Plantation. Milton enlisted in Athens Ohio on June 22nd 1863
****Milton is also one of three sons born to Bird Holland a confederate soldier and the half brother to Spearman.)****

Here he was listed as a First Sgt and served in that capacity for eleven months. His commanders were so impressed with his ability he was promoted.

On August 31st Holland was promoted to Sgt Major and in September 1864 was transferred out of Company C

Milton Holland was listed on the Muster-Out Roll in Carolina City North Carolina on September 20th 1865.


This is faint but it basically reads according to my eyes: Written on August 2 1865 Holland is requesting a hearing on the injustice of the case implying that he had been absent from roll call. Holland stated that he has commanded the entire time for the last last five months.

Adjutant General Report listing rundown of promotion and then demotion. Holland was promoted in the field but since the army did not recognize African Americans as officers Holland was stripped of his promotion.

After moving from Washington DC where Milton worked for the government he and his wife Virginia took residence in Maryland as evidence of this 1910 census.(click to enlarge)

Holland later in life. Milton left this earth on May 15th 1910 in Silver Springs Maryland and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Thank God for Men like these who fought for our freedom. Now our task is to get the word out about these men so that our children and children's children will know of the sacrifices that our ancestors made. I know that as a kid growing up, we were not privy to this information in school.