James Joseph “Jim” King

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James Joseph “Jim” King

Birth
Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA
Death
29 Mar 1960 (aged 81)
Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas, USA
Burial
Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas, USA Add to Map
Plot
Section 8, Lot 121, Space 8-A
Memorial ID
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Grandpa King was one of 17 children born to Irish parents. His family had moved from St. Louis to Kansas City when he was 3 years old. The King family lived at 3rd & James Street, just west of the river. Like a lot of children of immigrant parents, he worked for the meat packing plant. In 1903 he operated a cigar shop with his brother-in-law, Bill McMullan. From 1908-1916 he was a city patrolman, retiring from there to work for the Kansas City Board of Education as a custodian, where he remained until 1948.

On October 2, 1906, Grandpa married my grandmother at St. Bridget's Church in Kansas City, Kansas. He was was 27 and she was only 17. According to Grandma, they had been "going together" since she was 12 years old. They were the parents of Elizabeth and Edward.

In 1939, they purchased a pretty little frame house at 1715 N. 13th St. and allotted space in the front for a tavern which they operated until Grandpa's death in 1960. An article was written in the August 1, 1957, Kansas City Star titled "Never Say Die" chronicling their courageous effort to keep their tavern going. From 1955-1957 Grandma had two serious surgeries for her breast cancer and Grandpa had both legs amputated, one at a time, due to his diabetes. But, despite all this, The Bungalow tavern kept up a continuous operation.

I remember Grandpa riding me around in his wheelchair, giving me silver dollars and keeping watch so Grandma wouldn't see while I got a Grapette soda and a candy bar from behind the bar. Every morning he tore up bread in his milk and cracked open a soft boiled egg in his egg cup. He would always share it with Polly, Daddy's 30-something year old yellow Amazon parrot. Most importantly, he let me spend time with him and never complained.

He made me smile!
Grandpa King was one of 17 children born to Irish parents. His family had moved from St. Louis to Kansas City when he was 3 years old. The King family lived at 3rd & James Street, just west of the river. Like a lot of children of immigrant parents, he worked for the meat packing plant. In 1903 he operated a cigar shop with his brother-in-law, Bill McMullan. From 1908-1916 he was a city patrolman, retiring from there to work for the Kansas City Board of Education as a custodian, where he remained until 1948.

On October 2, 1906, Grandpa married my grandmother at St. Bridget's Church in Kansas City, Kansas. He was was 27 and she was only 17. According to Grandma, they had been "going together" since she was 12 years old. They were the parents of Elizabeth and Edward.

In 1939, they purchased a pretty little frame house at 1715 N. 13th St. and allotted space in the front for a tavern which they operated until Grandpa's death in 1960. An article was written in the August 1, 1957, Kansas City Star titled "Never Say Die" chronicling their courageous effort to keep their tavern going. From 1955-1957 Grandma had two serious surgeries for her breast cancer and Grandpa had both legs amputated, one at a time, due to his diabetes. But, despite all this, The Bungalow tavern kept up a continuous operation.

I remember Grandpa riding me around in his wheelchair, giving me silver dollars and keeping watch so Grandma wouldn't see while I got a Grapette soda and a candy bar from behind the bar. Every morning he tore up bread in his milk and cracked open a soft boiled egg in his egg cup. He would always share it with Polly, Daddy's 30-something year old yellow Amazon parrot. Most importantly, he let me spend time with him and never complained.

He made me smile!

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Hail Mary, Holy Mary

Gravesite Details

Birth date on headstone is incorrect.

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