James Ray Downing

DOWNING BLADES AMADOR

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/19/2010 at 23:17:09

Woodbury County History 1984

James Ray Downing
By James M Downing, Jr

James Ray Downing was born June 20, 1905, at Mapleton, Iowa, son of James and Rose May Blades Downing of Oto, Iowa. He has two brothers, George of Sioux City, and Porlis ‘Buster’ of Waterloo, Iowa.

James graduated form Moville High School in May 1923; he then completed a Law Degree through La Salle Extension University. He married Connie Lucile Nitzsche, of Spencer, in January, 1928, at Odebolt, Iowa.

James was employed by the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad as an agent telegrapher at Odebolt, Carnarvan, Merrill, Modamin and Sloan stations, all in Iowa. While he lived at Salix, James (known to all as Ray) served seven terms as mayor and several terms as Justice of the Peace. After retiring, Ray and Lucile moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1972, to be near their son, James, Jr. James ‘Ray’ died March 2, 1980; his wife, Lucile, died January 16, 1983. Both are buried at Lincoln, Nebraska.

James, Jr graduated from Salix Public High School and joined the Army in 1946, serving until 1968 and retired from Veteran’s Administation in 1983 where he was Chairman of the Voting Board in Lincoln, Nebraska.
James married Tulia Quisos Amador in San Jose, Costa Rica, in 1953 and they have three daughters: Elizabeth Estler of Oakhurst, New Jersey; Rose Mary Russel of Aurora, Colorado; and Martha Downing of Des Moines, Iowa.