James Merrell Kitchens

James Merrell Kitchens was born October 16, 1919 in Adrian, Georgia to Annie Laurie Wilcher and James Pierce Kitchens. He was a storyteller. The family moved to Miami where Jim graduated from Miami Senior High School. His life in rural Georgia and Miami of the 1920's and 30's provided him with a treasure trove of stories that he loved to share with his children and grandchildren. We were enthralled with his stories from an adventurous and inventive childhood. He told us of summers fishing in the O‘Hoopee River with crushed walnuts, of a wild cousin who saved him from a charging bull, and of hunting for alligators and rattlesnakes in the Florida swamps. His stories have become part of our family lore.

After his high school graduation, Jim attended Ohio State University but he contracted pneumonia in the pre-antibiotic era and was forced to return home to recover. Rather than returning to school, he began work as an installer for Western Electric Co. in Raleigh. There, on a blind date, he met Ruth Motsinger. Shortly after meeting Ruth, Jim was drafted into the Army Signal Corps. In 1944, Jim was stationed at Fort Lee, NJ and Ruth came for a visit prior to his shipping out overseas. Ruth's father demanded that a chaperone accompany her and ""bring her back the way she left."" He wouldn't get his wish. Jim and Ruth were married at the First Baptist Church of New York City on December 7, 1944. Their honeymoon cruise was on the Staten Island Ferry at a cost of 20 cents. Their marriage lasted 66 years, until Ruth's death in 2012.

On his return home, Jim enrolled at N.C. State and graduated as member of the National Engineering Honor Society in 1950 with a degree in electrical engineering. Upon graduation, Jim was hired by Western Electric and he spent his whole working life with Western until his retirement in 1988. Over the years the family moved to seven different locations for work and cycled through 13 houses. Following his retirement Jim and Ruth travelled widely and in his latter years he embraced Newfoundland as his favorite summer escape. He was the former Chapter President of the Telephone Pioneers of America, President of the local Stratford Rotary Club and a long time member of the First Baptist Church.

He is survived by his daughter Laura Kitchens Elcock and her husband Walter of Dallas, TX; his son James Merrell Kitchens and his wife Anne Wessels of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and his daughter Ruth Lynn Kitchens of Richmond, Virginia. Four grandchildren: Hilah Elcock Schutt, Catherine Elcock Schwartz, Walker James Kitchens and William Seaborn Kitchens. Four great-grandchildren: Jasper Munro Schutt, Elsa Reeve Schutt, Luke Kitchens Schutt and Holden James Schwartz.

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, December 20 at 3:00 pm in Saal Community Center at Salemtowne Retirement Community, 190 Moravian Way Dr, Winston-Salem, NC 27106. We are deeply grateful to all of the staff at Salemtowne who cared for Ruth and Jim during their last years of life. Salemtowne is caring community. The family asks that in lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Residence Fund at Salemtowne.

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