Jim is a son of Mable Kimble Leach and James Norwood Gates of Georgetown, Williamson, Texas, their fifth child. He was delivered by Dr. J. J. Cappleman at 1:30 p.m. They had lost an infant son prior to Jim's birth.
He graduated from Georgetown, Texas Grammar School 31 May, 1938, went on to high school and service in the United States Navy.
He married about 1943 to (1) Ruby Charline Hanson; they had daughters, Doris Elaine Gates in 1945, Patricia Ann Gates in 1946.
Jim and Ruby divorced about 1950, and Ruby married (2 ) William Haldane "Dane" Fears at Tarrant Texas on 1 September 1951. Ruby had at least one child with this 2nd husband, a daughter, Sharon Gail Fears, born in 1953, and had divorced William by 6 January 1972 at Tarrant County, Texas. The following May of 1972, Ruby married (4) Nobel Glenn Blackstock. They divorced and she married (4) William M. "Red" Forshaw in 1979. Robert "Bob" Christy became her 5th husband in 1984. They were married 28 years.
Jim married (2) Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Bates Farley 26 December 1952 at Brady, McCulloch, Texas. Their son, James Jr. was born in 1956. They also raised Mary's first three children together.
They ranched for the years their children were growing up and enjoyed owning and showing registered horses. In later years, they entered the excavation construction and trucking businesses.
He was an Operating Engineer, Local #3 in many western states for over 30 years and also drove transports and refrigerated semis Coast to Coast for several companies. He and his wife, Mary, also owned and operated their own 18 wheel trucks, both being licensed commercial truckers.
Jim liked a "hot lookin" truck - they spent many, MANY 100's of thousands $$$ on various ones over the years - decked out with fancy sleepers, extra lights and lots of chrome. The most unusual is pictured here, built entirely by Jim - a rare "cab over" KW reconstructed to include a camper like sleeper with fridge, microwave, etc. and a special compartment for hauling fragile cargo, in addition to pulling a reefer or trailer. They named her "DESERT RUN".
They stayed "on the road" about 25 years, always long hauling; they rarely stayed in commercial lodging. One of their longest stay overs was when they rolled a truck full of watermelons and spent a few days in the hospital with Jim's broken back. If he had gotten his way....Mary would have continued driving, with him the the sleeper, but the doc would not go for that!
He also once did some damage on the stretch from Salt Lake City to Wendover by running over a free range black Angus bull, in the dark of the night. Jim was rolling about 90 miles an hour and it wrapped his 2 ft. wide chrome plated steel bumper up, almost to the windshield wipers; but, the story was "he kept on bookin' all the way to the Nevada State line". When someone asked about the bull, Jim said he was sorry to report that there was about 2,000 pounds of hamburger scattered almost 2 miles along, on the east side of the Interstate! How he kept it in the road was a miracle.
In his bachelor days, Jim was once a Fort Worth City bus driver and was shot in the stomach by a robber...but "kept on keepin' on", by kicking the shooter out of his bus and driving himself to the hospital. He was also a bronc rider in those days....that's why his friends called him a "tough nut to crack".
Jim and Mary were married almost 42 years before Jim Sr's death, from cancer, and Mary remained a widow for the next 20 years.
He graduated from Georgetown, Texas Grammar School 31 May, 1938, went on to high school and service in the United States Navy.
He married about 1943 to (1) Ruby Charline Hanson; they had daughters, Doris Elaine Gates in 1945, Patricia Ann Gates in 1946.
Jim and Ruby divorced about 1950, and Ruby married (2 ) William Haldane "Dane" Fears at Tarrant Texas on 1 September 1951. Ruby had at least one child with this 2nd husband, a daughter, Sharon Gail Fears, born in 1953, and had divorced William by 6 January 1972 at Tarrant County, Texas. The following May of 1972, Ruby married (4) Nobel Glenn Blackstock. They divorced and she married (4) William M. "Red" Forshaw in 1979. Robert "Bob" Christy became her 5th husband in 1984. They were married 28 years.
Jim married (2) Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Bates Farley 26 December 1952 at Brady, McCulloch, Texas. Their son, James Jr. was born in 1956. They also raised Mary's first three children together.
They ranched for the years their children were growing up and enjoyed owning and showing registered horses. In later years, they entered the excavation construction and trucking businesses.
He was an Operating Engineer, Local #3 in many western states for over 30 years and also drove transports and refrigerated semis Coast to Coast for several companies. He and his wife, Mary, also owned and operated their own 18 wheel trucks, both being licensed commercial truckers.
Jim liked a "hot lookin" truck - they spent many, MANY 100's of thousands $$$ on various ones over the years - decked out with fancy sleepers, extra lights and lots of chrome. The most unusual is pictured here, built entirely by Jim - a rare "cab over" KW reconstructed to include a camper like sleeper with fridge, microwave, etc. and a special compartment for hauling fragile cargo, in addition to pulling a reefer or trailer. They named her "DESERT RUN".
They stayed "on the road" about 25 years, always long hauling; they rarely stayed in commercial lodging. One of their longest stay overs was when they rolled a truck full of watermelons and spent a few days in the hospital with Jim's broken back. If he had gotten his way....Mary would have continued driving, with him the the sleeper, but the doc would not go for that!
He also once did some damage on the stretch from Salt Lake City to Wendover by running over a free range black Angus bull, in the dark of the night. Jim was rolling about 90 miles an hour and it wrapped his 2 ft. wide chrome plated steel bumper up, almost to the windshield wipers; but, the story was "he kept on bookin' all the way to the Nevada State line". When someone asked about the bull, Jim said he was sorry to report that there was about 2,000 pounds of hamburger scattered almost 2 miles along, on the east side of the Interstate! How he kept it in the road was a miracle.
In his bachelor days, Jim was once a Fort Worth City bus driver and was shot in the stomach by a robber...but "kept on keepin' on", by kicking the shooter out of his bus and driving himself to the hospital. He was also a bronc rider in those days....that's why his friends called him a "tough nut to crack".
Jim and Mary were married almost 42 years before Jim Sr's death, from cancer, and Mary remained a widow for the next 20 years.
Jim is a son of Mable Kimble Leach and James Norwood Gates of Georgetown, Williamson, Texas, their fifth child. He was delivered by Dr. J. J. Cappleman at 1:30 p.m. They had lost an infant son prior to Jim's birth.
He graduated from Georgetown, Texas Grammar School 31 May, 1938, went on to high school and service in the United States Navy.
He married about 1943 to (1) Ruby Charline Hanson; they had daughters, Doris Elaine Gates in 1945, Patricia Ann Gates in 1946.
Jim and Ruby divorced about 1950, and Ruby married (2 ) William Haldane "Dane" Fears at Tarrant Texas on 1 September 1951. Ruby had at least one child with this 2nd husband, a daughter, Sharon Gail Fears, born in 1953, and had divorced William by 6 January 1972 at Tarrant County, Texas. The following May of 1972, Ruby married (4) Nobel Glenn Blackstock. They divorced and she married (4) William M. "Red" Forshaw in 1979. Robert "Bob" Christy became her 5th husband in 1984. They were married 28 years.
Jim married (2) Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Bates Farley 26 December 1952 at Brady, McCulloch, Texas. Their son, James Jr. was born in 1956. They also raised Mary's first three children together.
They ranched for the years their children were growing up and enjoyed owning and showing registered horses. In later years, they entered the excavation construction and trucking businesses.
He was an Operating Engineer, Local #3 in many western states for over 30 years and also drove transports and refrigerated semis Coast to Coast for several companies. He and his wife, Mary, also owned and operated their own 18 wheel trucks, both being licensed commercial truckers.
Jim liked a "hot lookin" truck - they spent many, MANY 100's of thousands $$$ on various ones over the years - decked out with fancy sleepers, extra lights and lots of chrome. The most unusual is pictured here, built entirely by Jim - a rare "cab over" KW reconstructed to include a camper like sleeper with fridge, microwave, etc. and a special compartment for hauling fragile cargo, in addition to pulling a reefer or trailer. They named her "DESERT RUN".
They stayed "on the road" about 25 years, always long hauling; they rarely stayed in commercial lodging. One of their longest stay overs was when they rolled a truck full of watermelons and spent a few days in the hospital with Jim's broken back. If he had gotten his way....Mary would have continued driving, with him the the sleeper, but the doc would not go for that!
He also once did some damage on the stretch from Salt Lake City to Wendover by running over a free range black Angus bull, in the dark of the night. Jim was rolling about 90 miles an hour and it wrapped his 2 ft. wide chrome plated steel bumper up, almost to the windshield wipers; but, the story was "he kept on bookin' all the way to the Nevada State line". When someone asked about the bull, Jim said he was sorry to report that there was about 2,000 pounds of hamburger scattered almost 2 miles along, on the east side of the Interstate! How he kept it in the road was a miracle.
In his bachelor days, Jim was once a Fort Worth City bus driver and was shot in the stomach by a robber...but "kept on keepin' on", by kicking the shooter out of his bus and driving himself to the hospital. He was also a bronc rider in those days....that's why his friends called him a "tough nut to crack".
Jim and Mary were married almost 42 years before Jim Sr's death, from cancer, and Mary remained a widow for the next 20 years.
He graduated from Georgetown, Texas Grammar School 31 May, 1938, went on to high school and service in the United States Navy.
He married about 1943 to (1) Ruby Charline Hanson; they had daughters, Doris Elaine Gates in 1945, Patricia Ann Gates in 1946.
Jim and Ruby divorced about 1950, and Ruby married (2 ) William Haldane "Dane" Fears at Tarrant Texas on 1 September 1951. Ruby had at least one child with this 2nd husband, a daughter, Sharon Gail Fears, born in 1953, and had divorced William by 6 January 1972 at Tarrant County, Texas. The following May of 1972, Ruby married (4) Nobel Glenn Blackstock. They divorced and she married (4) William M. "Red" Forshaw in 1979. Robert "Bob" Christy became her 5th husband in 1984. They were married 28 years.
Jim married (2) Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Bates Farley 26 December 1952 at Brady, McCulloch, Texas. Their son, James Jr. was born in 1956. They also raised Mary's first three children together.
They ranched for the years their children were growing up and enjoyed owning and showing registered horses. In later years, they entered the excavation construction and trucking businesses.
He was an Operating Engineer, Local #3 in many western states for over 30 years and also drove transports and refrigerated semis Coast to Coast for several companies. He and his wife, Mary, also owned and operated their own 18 wheel trucks, both being licensed commercial truckers.
Jim liked a "hot lookin" truck - they spent many, MANY 100's of thousands $$$ on various ones over the years - decked out with fancy sleepers, extra lights and lots of chrome. The most unusual is pictured here, built entirely by Jim - a rare "cab over" KW reconstructed to include a camper like sleeper with fridge, microwave, etc. and a special compartment for hauling fragile cargo, in addition to pulling a reefer or trailer. They named her "DESERT RUN".
They stayed "on the road" about 25 years, always long hauling; they rarely stayed in commercial lodging. One of their longest stay overs was when they rolled a truck full of watermelons and spent a few days in the hospital with Jim's broken back. If he had gotten his way....Mary would have continued driving, with him the the sleeper, but the doc would not go for that!
He also once did some damage on the stretch from Salt Lake City to Wendover by running over a free range black Angus bull, in the dark of the night. Jim was rolling about 90 miles an hour and it wrapped his 2 ft. wide chrome plated steel bumper up, almost to the windshield wipers; but, the story was "he kept on bookin' all the way to the Nevada State line". When someone asked about the bull, Jim said he was sorry to report that there was about 2,000 pounds of hamburger scattered almost 2 miles along, on the east side of the Interstate! How he kept it in the road was a miracle.
In his bachelor days, Jim was once a Fort Worth City bus driver and was shot in the stomach by a robber...but "kept on keepin' on", by kicking the shooter out of his bus and driving himself to the hospital. He was also a bronc rider in those days....that's why his friends called him a "tough nut to crack".
Jim and Mary were married almost 42 years before Jim Sr's death, from cancer, and Mary remained a widow for the next 20 years.
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