Randolph County Georgia - Biography - James Claude Grimes - 1884 ********************************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ********************************************************************************************** This file contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Charlene Parker" Sep 2002 JAMES CLAUDE GRIMES James Claude grimes was born August 9th, 1884 in Coweta County nine miles west of the city of Newnan, Georgia. His boyhood days were spent on the farm doing the real work of the farm and attending a small country school a few months each year. In his early manhood he felt the call of God to preach the Gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ. He, being a very timid and ignorant boy refrained from yielding to this call until he could do so no longer. After making a public announcement of his call and preaching his first sermon in old Elim Baptist Church, where he had grown up, he entered Locust Grove Institute, Locust Grove, Georgia, in the Fall of 1905, to prepare himself for college. After two years at Locust Grove he was called in 1907 to four country churches and was ordained to the full work of a Gospel minister in December. In addition to his work as pastor he taught schools to help pay expenses incurred while in college. He matriculated at Mercer University in the fall of 1909. After much self-denial and sacrifice he was rewarded with a diploma from Mercer in 1913. While a student at Mercer he served churches, among which were the Baptist Church at Milner, Georgia, Union Church, St. Marks, Georgia and Mountville Baptist Church, Mountville, Georgia. While pastor of the last named church he met the young lady, Miss Ruth Bird, who later became his wife. After graduating from Mercer he spent several months on the farm with his parents and serving churches. In June 1914 he accepted a call to the First Baptist Church, Boston, Georgia and began his ministry there. In October 1914 he returned to Mountville and married. He and his bride established their first home in Boston and there their only child, Esther Jane Grimes, was born July 3, 1916. In November 1918 he resigned the pastorate in Boston and went under the direction of the State Mission Board to organize a church and erect a building, which is now known as Norwich Street Baptist Church, Brunswick, Georgia. Two years later he was called to the Brinson Baptist Church, Brinson, Georgia where for two years he served Brinson and a number of nearby churches, being pastor of six churches at one time. In 1923 he was called to the Colquitt Baptist Church; where for two years he served Colquitt as a full time church and four other nearby churches on Sunday afternoons. In 1925 he was called to the Shellman Baptist Church and he began his ministry in April. Soon he had been called to four other nearby churches for Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon services. These churches, Elim, Carnegie, Friendship and Rehoboth he now serves in addition to his work in Shellman. Brother Grimes is a strong, forceful preacher, a splendid pastor and is much beloved by his churches. following added by Debra Crosby 1920 Census Glynn County Georgia Brunswick Ed 91 sheet 12 260/288 Grimes, James C. Head 35 m w Ga Ga GA Pastor Ruth E. Wife 23 f w Ga Ga Ga Esther J. Daughter 3 5/12 f w Ga Ga Ga Elm High School, 1895 Coweta County Georgia Grimes B 17 Grimes Claud 10 Grimes Cliff 14 Grimes Eva 11 Grimes Jesse 7 Grimes John 15 Grimes Kit Grimes Lon Grimes Mary 8 Grimes Robert 9 Grimes Ruth 12 Grimes Willie 17