James Edward Ketcham

Born: March 26, 1926

Lonoke, Arkansas

Entered the Kingdom of Heaven: February 9, 2011

Saint Petersburg, Florida

          James Edward Ketcham was born to Guy Curtis (Bunk) and Carrie (Ozella (Singleton) Ketcham. Bunk Ketcham was from Tennessee and Carrie Singleton Ketcham was from Arkansas. James grew up in the back country of Arkansas. Prior to joining the U.S. Navy he was a rice farmer. He was trained as a machinist engineer. After his honorable discharge he worked in Cape Girardeau, Missouri at a radio tower. His co-worker Tony Vogel was dating Mrytle Butterfield who introduced her sister Velma Lorene Butterfield to James. They were married December 1, 1950 in sourthern Illinois at Velma’s brother’s home, Earl and his wife Jean Butterfield. The first child born to James and Velma was Loretta Ann, followed by Kathryn Jean, and James Edward Ketcham, II. James and Velma primarily lived in the state of Illinois, starting in southern Illinois, with a brief time in Tyler, Texas, then Carpentersville, outside Elgin, Illinois which is close to Chicago. Then, James found work at the Caterpillar Company in Peoria, Illinois. During this time the family lived in a hamlet known as Green Valley, Illinois which is midstate. Velma’s younger sister Dorothy (Dotty) June Butterfield Gibson was involved in a fatal tragic accident. This brought James and Velma to Florida to help with the care of Dotty’s children. Once in Florida, the family remained where James worked in construction for United building condominiums. Then he worked at a local dairy in production at Flav-o-rich.

James was widowed when Velma Lorene passed away in 1990. He worked a few more years at Flav-o-rich before he retired. Another difficult time in his life was the loss of his son, James Edward Ketcham, II on January 2, 2009.

James is survived by his two daughters and daughter-in-law: Loretta Ann (Ketcham) & Robert L. Wilcoxen, their three children, Lorene Ruth Wilcoxen, Jennifer Ellen Wilcoxen & daughter Emma Grace Wilcoxen, Robert Lee III & Sally Wilcoxen and their two daughters, Rebecca Ann and Kayla Mae.

Kathryn Jean (Ketcham) & Alex G. Panagiotacos have two sons, G. Alexander & Jaime Panagiotacos and their four children Rebecca Kathryn, Makayla Joy, G. Alexander, II, Timothy Martin. Youngest James Andrew & Faith Panagiotacos, expecting their first child in May.

James Edward Ketcham, II (deceased 01/02/2009) & surviving spouse Debbie Kecham. Jim and Debbie have two children, James Edward Ketcham, III and Melissa Nicole Ketcham.

Sister Bess Tate, Lonoke, Arkansas, Nephews Mike & wife (Kenna) Tate, Memphis, Tennessee, Barry Tate, Lonoke, Arkansas.