James E Carden, Jr

Lipscomb (Red Ore #2); Bessemer, Alabama

Junior; June; Junebug; Snap; Shine; Bug; Sunshine

Red Ore Elementary - 1941-1946
I graduated from Wenonah High School, Birmingham, Alabama in May 1952 and lived in the Woodward (Lipscomb) community during this time.

Attended the State Vocational and Trade School for one year after graduation, then volunteered for the U S Army in 1953 and served with the 728th Military Police Battalion, as a Military Policeman in Seoul, South Korea. Returned and completed requirements for the Associate Degree in Business Administration at Lawson State Community College.

After discharge from the active military service, I joined the Air Force Reserve and retired in 1992 after 33 years service as an Aeromedical Evacuation Crew Member, Flight Examiner, serving in worldwide evacuation of sick and wounded military members during Vietnam, Desert Storm and other military conflicts.

I retired from the U S Postal Service in 1990 after advancing through the management ranks to Director, City Operations, responsible for postal operations in 214 post offices in the South Georgia (Macon) District.

Served as a Contract Consultant with Accenture, LLC in Washington D. C. from 1987 to 2006, assisting in developing management software for Headquarters, U. S. Postal Service. Then deployment and training to 8000 postal users.

Now retired since 2007.

James Eugene and Katie Shearer Carden;
Grandparents: Martin and Iphenia Lawson Shearer & James H Carden and Mattie Young Carden.

I am the oldest of 50 grandchildren of Iphenia Lawson and Martin Shearer. My mother was Katie Shearer Carden, the oldest of twelve (one stillborn) children, who married James E Carden in 1933. She lived in the Wenonah #7 mining camp and graduated from Wenonah School in 1933.

Father James lived in the Woodward #2 mining camp and was a star pitcher for the Woodward baseball team. He was ambidextrous and legend has it that he pitched a double header on Sunday; one game left handed and one right handed. They met at a baseball game in Wenonah on the baseball field located in the area across the street from Mt. Hermon Baptist Church, Brown Station.