Maria DeMoss Troutman, Schopp, Germany, March 26, 1997. troutman@snoopy.bunt.com Union Co. James Allan DeMoss, of Union County, Ky., was born in Hopkins County, Ky., March 30, 1946 to Clarence Joyce DeMoss Jr and Sarah Ellen (Eldridge) DeMoss of Hopkins County, Ky. Jim or Jimmy as he was called, was the eldest of a family of two boys, James Allan and Michael Eldridge DeMoss. Subject started school in Madisonville, Hopkins County, Ky at Hall Street Elementary and then later enrolled in the Union County Public School System, but never did finish his high school degree, but even without a proper high school graduation, he was a very educated man in many things and was sought out by many for advice or help. He worked as a bagger and stocker at the local IGA grocery store in Sturgis, Union County, Ky, but was let go or fired for his bad trait of always talking as he never met a stranger and could talk for hours if someone wanted to talk about something. He married Anna Lee Owens on July 18, 1964 in Grangertown, Union County, KY, daughter of Hubbie Lee Owens and Lillie Evelyn (Hazel) Owens of DeKoven, Union County, KY. They first lived in a little house that used to sit next to a grocery store, the store is now what is Hayes's gas station in Sturgis, Union County, KY. Then in Feb. 1965 they moved to Harris, Humboldt Co., CA where he worked in a sawmill for a while. Nov. 1965 they moved back to Union County, and rented a house in Dekoven for 3 months, and then May 1966 rented another house and eventually bought the house that they lived in until his death, and where his wife still resides. He worked at Mo-Vac Factory in Morganfield, Union County, KY when their first child, Scarlett Maria was born in October 1966. He remained at Mo-Vac until Feb. 1968 at which time he went to work at P&M #9 coal mines, or called the Dekoven mines. He worked there until about Nov. 1968 at which time he went to Island Creek to Hamilton #1 mines. He worked there until Feb. 1972 when he went to work at Peabody Coal Company at Camp #2. While working at Camp#2, their second child, Mark Allan DeMoss was born in Aug. 1972. He worked at Camp #2 and enjoyed it, until it closed June 1992. He was out of work, drew his unemployment, and did work for the neighbor's (Bratchers) in the electrical contract business until he got rehired at Peabody at Camp #11 on Sept. 21, 1994. While he did not enjoy Camp #11 as well because he never knew from day to day what his job was going be, he worked there almost a year, until he was laid off again on Sept, 8, 1995. While working underground in the Coal Mines at Camp #2, Mr. DeMoss survived two known rock falls, the last one being bad enough that other workers didn't know how he had lived through it, let alone be standing up and dusting himself off when they got to him, they all expected to find him still under the coal. God was with him. Though he was not active in church, he did attend at times as a young boy the various Methodist churches his parents attended. At rare times he would accompany his wife to Grangertown Baptist Church, yet he could sit and talk the Bible underground with other miners. His church was underground. Jim and Anna watched their children grow up in their little house in DeKoven, teaching them to be honest, decent, and willing to help. They were taught to love the outdoors from their father, both learning how to hunt and clean the guns, shoot the bow, reload shells, and how to catch that big fish as well as just learning about nature. During the children's younger years, Mr.DeMoss loved to go riding on his Honda Motorcycle and would often take his daughter with him, with her begging him to go faster. When he wasn't cruising the back roads, he would hill climb with others on the motorcycle. As the children grew up, he sold his motorcycle and bought two - three wheelers to use in his deer hunting. He was an avid outdoors man. He won many trophies from bow shoots and black powder gun shoots, as well as winning trophies for tagging the largest deer in Union County. He also raised a large garden every summer, always getting it to produce more than they could can or give away. As the children grew up and married, life started changing for the DeMoss family. Grandchildren were born and they became doting grandparents at every chance. They were the proud Grandparents of 4 grandchildren, Laken and Cory Troutman, by their daughter, and Whitney Green, their son's step daughter, and Rebecca DeMoss. Every year Jim and Anna would drive to Texas to visit their oldest child and her family. They visited Fort Worth, TX and the surrounding area, and then when their daughter moved to another area in Texas, they also went there and visited the surrounding area of Abilene, and Buffalo Gap, Texas. Jim also enjoyed riding his bicycle and had ridden to Sturgis to check on getting his truck tuned up again for a trip to Texas to visit his daughter when he suffered a massive heart attack, as his father and his uncles had in the past, and died from it while riding his bicycle on Sept. 13, 1995, five days after he had just been laid off from work. He was laid to rest Sept. 16, 1995 at Grangertown Cemetery, Grangertown, Union County, KY with more friends attending than "normal" for a funeral in the small town of Sturgis. Though he was not famous, nor rich, there were phone calls from out of state and out of the County, wanting to know if what they had heard was true and what could they do to help. He never met a stranger and was everyone's friend. Mr. DeMoss was 49 ½ years old when he left this life. DeMoss Eldridge Owens Hazel Bratchers Troutman Green = Hopkins-KY Harris-Humboldt-CA TX http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/union/demoss.ja.txt