Wilton ‘T-Babe’ James Sr.
St. Martinville – A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2020, at 11 a.m. at Notre Dame Catholic Church in St. Martinville for Wilton James Sr., 89, who peacefully departed this life and went on to be with the Lord on Thursday, September 24, 2020, at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Lafayette.
The family requests that visitation be observed at Pellerin Funeral Home from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday. Reverend Cyriaque Sounou, SVD, will be the celebrant of the Mass.
Wilton “T-Babe” James Sr. was born in St. Martinville, Louisiana on June 22, 1931, to the late Fergust and Alberta James.
Wilton was united in holy matrimony to Genevieve “Fee” Jean-Batiste on March 1, 1954. This union was blessed with 14 children, Jackie, Kathy, Wilton Jr., Clyde, Wilbert Sr., Paula, Hayward, Paulette, Jennifer, Christopher, Harvey Sr., Wiltonette, Christine and Christina.
Even though Wilton didn’t graduate from high school, he was a very wise man. He used his agricultural mastery to produce bountiful harvests of okra, corn, peppers, watermelons, and sugar cane for the family while working on the family farm.
Wilton worked every day of the week to provide for his wife and fourteen children. He was employed by J.B. Talley Construction Company for 31 years. In addition to his regular workweek, he routinely worked on the weekends as a self-employed freelance brick layer. After his retirement from JB Talley, his brick laying and cementing jobs became his primary occupation.
In his spare time, Wilton loved fishing, hunting, turtle trapping, dancing, playing Bingo, and trying his luck with Louisiana Lottery scratch-offs.
But his most treasured activities were cooking and spending time with family. There are not many people around these days that can cook turtle, rabbit catfish coubion, tripe, gumbo, or dirty gravy like Wilton. He loved to cook, and he made sure that a place was set for anyone and everyone who either dropped by or was home visiting.
As a model citizen in the community, Wilton was given the key to the City by the Mayor of St. Martinville at his 80th Birthday Party, an honor only given to a select few individuals. Wilton’s enormous strength, caring personality, and loving influence will forever remain in the lives of everyone who knew him.
He leaves to cherish his legacy and memories a very loving and devoted family: eight daughters, Jacqueline Jones (Scoby), Kathy Bourda (Sandy), Jennifer James, Christina Bernard (Bobby) all of St. Martinville, Christine James of Lafayette, Wiltonette Francis (Teddius) of Carencro, Paula Jones (John) of Missouri City, Texas and Paulette Charles (Dobie) of San Antonio, Texas; six sons, Wilton James Jr., Clyde James, Hayward James (Felicia) and Christopher James, all of St. Martinville, Wilbert James Sr. (Mona) of Carencro, and Harvey James Sr. (Sherelle) of Lafayette; two sisters, Shirley Charles of St. Martinville and Antoinette Hypolite (Joseph) of Galveston, Texas; four brothers, Jessie James (Earline), Robert James (Joann), Leonard James and Wilson James; 22 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Genevieve, parents, Fergust and Alberta James; five brothers, Fred, Wilfred, Arthur, Jeffery and Calvin; and two grandchildren, Little Christine and Jeremy.
Pallbearers will be Bobby Bernard Jr., Sandy Bourda Sr., Neil Bourda, Dobie Charles, John Jones and Wayne Charles.
Honorary pallbearers will be Wilton James Jr., Clyde James, Wilbert James Sr., Hayward James, Christopher James and Harvey James Sr., Scoby Jones, and Ted Francis.
Pellerin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements
(Pd.Adv.)