Aileen, born on October 7, 1938, in Vance, Alabama, grew up in Holt, graduating from Holt High School in 1957. Jim, born on September 11, 1941, in Gadsden, Alabama, graduated from Emma Sansom High School in 1959. Aileen pursued a nursing career, specializing in labor and delivery and later as an emergency nurse at Gulf States paper mill. Jim initially worked in Chevron Oil Company’s accounting office and later in healthcare industry offices.
Married on January 28, 1962, they celebrated their 62nd anniversary this year. The couple has two adult sons: Derek (56), residing in Waco, Texas, and teaching at Baylor University, and Kent (53), serving as pastor of Liberty Hills Baptist Church in Clanton, Alabama. Jim and Aileen, married for over six decades, spent a decade in Louisville, Kentucky, forming close friendships and discovering a cherished church. In 1978, they returned to Alabama, spending the next 40+ years in Demopolis as dedicated members of Fairhaven Baptist Church. In March 2023, they moved to Regency Retirement Village.