James Kennemore's Obituary
JAMES EDWIN KENNEMORE, JR., 96, passed away at his home on December 29, 2010. He was born in 1914 in Arkansas to Nancy Lottie and James Edwin Kennemore, Sr. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and was stationed in the Pacific Theater where he worked as a Storekeeper First Class with the Seabees unit to build airstrips on recently secured islands. In 1949, after his Naval service, James graduated from the University of Memphis Law School. He later received a Certificate in Advanced Accounting from the University of Tennessee. James held an appointment as an Administrative Law Judge with the State of Tennessee Dept. of Employment Security for many years. He retired from the State of Tennessee with over 38 years of service. James married Edith Robertson in April 1950 and settled in Memphis. From 1956-57 he worked with his brother Charles Kennemore, in his hometown, Osceola, AR on the construction of the Kennemore Acres residential development. After returning to Memphis, Edith and James invested in and managed rental real estate property for many years while they raised their family of four daughters. James was a member of Germantown Baptist Church. He held lifetime memberships in the American Legion and VFW. He was also a Mason and Shriner. James is survived by his wife of 60 years, Edith; four daughters: Janet (Paul) Simms of Little Rock, AR; Karen (Wayne) Davenport of Huntsville, AL; Gayla (Jeff) Hiss of Seattle, WA; and Carol (Anton) Kleywegt of Atlanta, GA; and four grandchildren: Angela and Andrew Simms, Jennifer and Jessica Davenport. He is also survived by two sisters, Betty Steed of Auburn, AL and Marguerite Pickering of Ocala, FL and several nieces and nephews. James was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Charles and Howard Kennemore. The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. Sunday evening at Memorial Park Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 3, 2011 at the Memorial Park Funeral Home in Memphis, TN with the Rev. Thomas Steed officiating. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorial Park Funeral Home, “Behind the stone wall”, 901-767-8930. Condolences may be offered at www.MemorialParkOnline.com
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