Pauline James

Pauline James was born in the Simpsonville community of Upsher County, Texas on February 28, 1927.  She was the second of four children to her parents, A.J. (Bud) and Ethyl Blundell.  As with most children of that era, Pauline grew up doing farm chores with her parents and two brothers and sister.  Her family was never affluent but the closeness and love that they felt for each other sustained them thru the Great Depression of the 1930’s.  Pauline spoke often of her girl friends and classmates that grew up with her and attended Union Hill school where she graduated as Salutatorian of her high school class in 1943. 

Pauline was a very industrious and unusually brave young girl.  In 1942, at the age of 15 she traveled alone by train from East Texas to San Diego, California to see her older brother Dalton who was soon to leave for the South Pacific and World War II.  She spoke often of the war years and how she worked as an office worker in Dallas until the war ended in 1945.

On April 5, 1946 Pauline married her sweetheart, Delbert (Bill) James from the nearby East Texas community of Rhonesboro after he returned from serving in the United States Army Air Corp in 1945.  Pauline’s and Bill’s early married life involved living and working in the Dallas area and in East Texas.  While living in East Texas, Pauline and Bill welcomed their first 2 children, Barbara in 1947 and Lyndon in 1948. In 1956 Pauline and Bill moved permanently to the Dallas metroplex where, over the next 14 years, they added two boys and a girl to the family; Larry in 1956, Janet in 1960, and Eric in 1970.

Pauline loved to work and over her many years as a wife and mom, she worked many types of jobs to support her family.  In the 1960’s she worked as a technician for Texas Instruments and as a substitute rural mail carrier in and around her hometown of Mesquite, Texas.  In the 1980’s and early 1990’s Pauline worked as a Cashier and office manager for Payless Cashways in Mesquite.  She retired from Payless Cashways in 1992 and was able to spend several great years in retirement with Bill until his passing in 1997.  Over the past 23 years, Pauline has enjoyed the retirement life of a mom and grandmother to her family in Mesquite and Sunnyvale.  She was a lifelong Christian and was a member of Lake Pointe Church in Mesquite, Texas for the past 17 years.  Pauline passed away on September 21, 2020 at the age of 93.

Pauline is preceded in death by her parents, her two brothers Dalton and Durward, and her sister Alieth.

She is survived by three sons, Lyndon James and his wife Jackie of Sunnyvale, Texas; Larry James and his wife Teresa of Caddo Mills, Texas; Eric James and his wife Melissa of Sunnyvale, Texas; two daughters; Barbara Langfitt and her husband Joe of Garland, Texas; and Janet Shannon and her husband Michael of Hot Springs, Arkansas; her sister-in-law, Jean Blundell of Rowlett, Texas, 9 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; and many, many very special nieces and nephews.

Pauline will be laid to rest at Little Mound Cemetery on September 25, 2020 at 11am.  Her grandson, Carl James of Dallas, Texas will officiate the ceremony.  Pallbearers include her grandsons, Lawson Ayo, Michael Mack, Kevin James, Lance James, Karl Shannon, and Garren James.  Honorary pallbearers are grandsons Graham James and Jordy Wright.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mesquite Public Library.