James
Angus
Durham
April 21, 1927 - April 16, 2017
James Angus Durham (Jim) passed away peacefully in his home on April 16, 2017. He was surrounded by his family. He was predeceased by his parents, Bob and Jean, his wife, Hazel, his brother Robert and sisters Isabel and Marion. He leaves to mourn his sister, Norma.
Jim was born April 21, 1927 in Raymond Alberta. He came to the Jaffray area in 1937 with his parents. In 1945 he, with his parents, began to homestead the old Sam Child place. While his father went to serve in WW2, Jim worked the farm with his mother. He has worked it ever since. For many years, he and his brother Rob logged and farmed the place, expanding the acreage to its present size.
His first love was logging and he worked all over the East Kootenays. He was an accomplished sawyer and faller. There were no jobs in the industry that he could not complete. He was a hard worker and never considered logging work. He earned the respect of everybody who knew him.
He found his first and only love on the side of a hill in Waldo. He always remembers seeing her for the first time. He said, “She was wearing a white blouse”. He married Hazel in 1950 and shared a life with her for over sixty-five years. They had four children, Roberta, Debbie (Tom), Malcolm, and Greg (Kathy). There were grandchildren and great grandchildren who loved him dearly.
He was an avid curler, spending many winters skipping teams at the Galloway curling rink and entering bonspiels, especially the Lumberman’s. He loved to play horseshoes and hated to lose, especially to Hazel. He and Hazel in later years enjoyed playing crib.
He was a man of few words, claiming that “you never learned anything by talking”. He believed that your word was the law, and if you couldn’t solve business with a handshake, it wasn’t worth much.
There will be a celebration of Life on Friday, April 21st on what would have been his 90th birthday. It will take place at the Jaffray Hall from 1 to 4. Anyone wishing to share their experiences knowing Jim will have opportunity then.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Elk Valley Hospice, c/o Box 670 Fernie, BC V0B 1M0. Memories and condolences shared at www.cherishedmemoriesfs.com Arrangements entrusted to Cherished Memories Funeral Services Ltd.
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