1. James Alby Phelps, Jr.

James A. Phelps, Sr. — Jim — was born in upstate New York, the fifth of ten children.  When Jim was about six the family joined in the Great Westward Migration and moved from New York to St. Charles, Illinois.  They remained in Illinois for about nine years, then moved to Chautauqua County, Kansas not far from Sedan.  Fifteen years later, the family moved again to what is now the south end of Jefferson County, Colorado.  Had Jim's father not died in Colorado, the family had little doubt that he would have eventually moved on to California.

This pioneering spirit and the conquest of new horizons must have been infectious.  Jim didn't move to new distant lands during his life but he engaged first in the lumber business, then gold mining, and finally cattle ranching.  He also had a penchant for the conquest of the fairer sex, much to the detriment of his first marriage.

His first promiscuity was to get his sister-in-law pregnant with his only child.  His wife Carrie stepped up and dealt with the situation.  But when Jim took up with the housekeeper, Carrie divorced him.

"She had a hard life, Aunt Carrie did.  That Uncle Jim was a stinker.  He was messing around with the housekeeper.  He kept her there for years and years.  He finally married her and had the nerve to take her up to Cripple Creek.  Addie [Jim's youngest sister] hated her.  We were all at the supper table when Addie came in and Uncle Jimmy said, "I've married Della."  Addie had the awfulest fit you ever saw.  She went into hysterics.

"What did you do it for, what did you do it for?"

Jim and Carrie had been divorced for years, but it was over Della." -niece, Betty Hayes

Although Jim was involved in the community — he was on the school board at one time — the old timers remember Jim's personality as being somewhat of a law unto himself.

"One time when we kids [Betty Culver (Hayes), Jim Phelps, Jr., and John Green] were in school, we got the idea to start throwing shingle nails at each other.  The teacher got so mad she called a meeting of the school board over it.  Imagine, these cattlemen going off to ride and here they come in with their chaps and spurs on.  I just thought I'd get killed!  A kid getting a board meeting called!  My dad came in the door and winked at me as he came in.  Well, I knew I was safe so I took it pretty good.  But Uncle Jim... the teacher wanted to tell all the details but Uncle Jim stopped her and said, "Now I don't want to hear anything about it.  Next time just pick up an ox-yolk and knock 'em down!" -niece, Betty Hayes

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