Minister, artist, musician and teacher James “Jim” W. Davis took his final journey home on June 12, 2016, in Sitka. He was 95.
Jim was born June 29, 1921, in Edenwold, Tenn. He was preceded in death by his devoted wife, Louise.
Jim was well known for his artistic abilities and his musical abilities, in addition to his service to the church.
During the time he lived in Tennessee he played with the Grand Old Opry. After preaching in the hills of Tennessee, he moved his family to South Carolina in 1950 to take a minister’s position.
Jim served in the U.S. Navy with the medical corps, where he made prosthetics for wounded servicemen; and also worked at the DuPont Company as a graphic artist.
Over the years Jim attended Lipscomb University, and Vanderbilt University both in Nashville, Tenn., and in 1967 he attended Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash. He received degrees in theology, art and music along with education for teaching and administration.
Jim and his wife Louise, with children Natalie and Alan, moved to Sitka by steamship in 1952, their car becoming the 11th car in Sitka. Jim said Louise took one look at very small town with mud roads, and said she was not getting off the boat. She did, and never looked back. Though they had been born and raised in Tennessee, they quickly grew to love Sitka and spent the majority of their lives here.
A number of years later, their third child, Laurie Lynn was born. Louise called Laurie her special blessing.
Jim came to Sitka to be the minister of the Church of Christ. He also worked various jobs such as the engineer at the radio station KIFW, and worked at Reeds Market, and Sitka Cold Storage. He also commercially fished in the early 1950s.
He was a teacher in Sitka and a superintendent of schools in Skagway and Kake.
Jim, Alan and Natalie, along with Dan Keck, Atsuo Tsunoda and Bing Gouker were known as the Baranof Bluegrass Band. They played everywhere from the smallest towns in northern Alaska to Anchorage, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka and Ketchiken. They spent four weeks touring Japan playing bluegrass music in all the major cities in Japan. Atsuo set up all the shows and assisted with the language.
The band also played in a folk festival at the playhouse theater at the Seattle Center. They were invited and went to Kentucky to play with the best of the bluegrass bands in the United States.
Jim, Louise, Alan and Nancy were owners of Alexander’s Art Center for many years.
He belonged to the Sitka Historical Society, Baranof Arts Council, Civil Air Patrol and the Pioneers of Alaska.
He was well known for his knowledge of Alaskan history and wrote “The Raven and the Double Eagle,” a well-researched informative look at the life in Sitka during the Russian occupation. Jim and Alan built a diorama of Sitka as it was 100 years ago, and it was a popular exhibit in the city museum in Centennial Hall.
They also built a diorama of scenes of tribal life for the Sheldon Jackson museum, which later was moved to the Alaska State Museum in Juneau.
Jim is survived by his children, Natalie Callaway and Alan Davis and his wife Nancy Blatchley Davis, all of Sitka, and Laurie Cooper and her husband Mike Cooper of Royse City Texas.
His grandchildren are Brent McClung (Dawn McClung) of Sitka; Debby McCellan, Kuna, Idaho; Caila Carreno (Ricardo Carreno), North Las
Vegas, N.Y.; Lynn Davis Lunas (Colin Lunas) of Layton, Utah; Ashley Pietras (Steve Pietras) of Columbia S.C.; Kellie Cooper, Ruidoso Downs, Minn.; John Cooper (Cara Cooper), Justin, Texas; and Bobbi McKean (Clint McKean), San Antonio Texas.
He had 24 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Jim was a soft-spoken, kind man, who took time for anyone who needed his assistance – from having someone live with them, to mentoring them, and to supporting any who needed spiritual counseling.
In his later years Jim lived in the Pioneers Home, and enjoyed visiting with the staff and residents.
By his request there will be no formal services; the family will have a graveside prayer.
He will be missed by family and so many friends, but he is with Louise, whom he missed for so many years.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the Church of Christ, 1113 Edgecumbe Drive, Sitka AK 99835.
