William James Dinsmore

William James "Jim" Dinsmore (1911 - 1985)

Black-and-white portrait of a young man in a suit and glasses.

Birth, Parents and Siblings

Jim was born on April 12, 1911, in Anderson, Indiana to Carlos Dinsmore and Bertha Buschman Dinsmore. Carlos was 36 years old, and Bertha was approximately 33 years old at that time.

Jim was the third of four children and the only son, including Dorothy Irwin Dinsmore (born July 19, 1904, in Chenoa, Illinois, died May 22, 1980, in Louisville, Kentucky), Margaret Millson Dinsmore (born April 4, 1907 in Harvey, Illinois, died January 1, 2000, in El Toro, California) and Bertha Elizabeth Dinsmore (born July 13, 1917, in Indianapolis, Indiana, died Feb 13, 1997, in Atlanta, GA).

Growing up

Jim’s upbringing was significantly influenced by his parent’s devotion to the Baptist ministry. Carlos had a successful career as a Baptist Pastor and leader, progressing through increasing levels of leadership responsibilities for churches in Ocoya, Illinois, Harvey, Illinois, Anderson, Indiana and Evansville, Indiana. He then went on to leadership roles in the Baptist community, first as the General Superintendent of the Indiana Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana and then as the Secretary of the American Baptist Home Mission Society in Teaneck New Jersey. In his last role, preparing for retirement, he became a pastor at First Baptist Church South Haven Michigan.

Bertha was an activist, leader and meaningful contributor to the church, the YWCA and other related activities throughout her life. Once married, she worked alongside husband, Carlos, in the church communities in each of the locations where they lived as Carlos’ career continued to progress. Bertha taught Sunday school classes wherever they lived. In Indianapolis, she had the largest women’s Bible class in the state for many years.

Jim would have been characterized as a typical PK, a.k.a. a preacher’s kid. A preacher’s kid is one who is born to a parent who is of the clergy. Often, those kids, maybe because of unrealistic expectations pressed upon them by parents or the congregation, rebel and become daring, risky, even disobedient, all things thought to be the opposite of a preacher’s “goody two shoes” child.

1911-1914 Anderson, Indiana – With Carlos serving as the leader of the Anderson Baptist Church, Carlos, Bertha, Dorothy, Margaret and eventually Jim lived in Anderson from 1907 to 1914. They had several residences during their time in Anderson.

1914 – 1915 Evansville, Indiana. The family moved to Evansville for a year because Carlos was asked to step in and solve notable issues with the Evansville Baptist Church.

1915 – 1930 Indianapolis, Indiana. Jim and his family moved to Indianapolis when he was approximately four years old, and Carlos was appointed to the role of General Superintendent of the Indiana Baptist Convention. They were living at 438 N. Riley Avenue at the time of Carlos’s draft registration for WWI and as of the 1920 census. During this period, Jim would have attended school in the Indianapolis School District. They moved into Warren Township at some point after that. By 1924, they were living in Warren Township at a rural free address (RFD) -- RFD G. Warren Township was divided into five named school districts, each served by its own one-room schoolhouse, where a single teacher instructed children of all ages. By the 1920s, six schoolhouses were operating across the township. After grade school, Jim would have likely attended either The Cumberland School or The Shadeland School, which were the two feeder schools into Jim’s high school, which opened in 1925.

With the advent of World War I, Jim started going by his middle name, not his first name, so that he would not be associated with Kaiser Wilhelm (William) II, the emperor of Germany. He was known as “Jim” or “WJ” the rest of his life.

According to his high school diploma, Jim graduated in May of 1928 from Warren High School, which was the predecessor of today’s Warren Central High School. The original Warren High School was located at 10th Street and Post Street, a few blocks away from the current location of Warren Central, on the east side of Indianapolis. The original school location now houses the Indianapolis Metro Police Department Training Academy.

According to his future wife, Bonnie Maude Overby, Jim enlisted in The National Guard of the United States and Indiana on June 14, 1927, telling the authorities in the first discussions that he was 18 years old when he was, in fact, only 15 years old. He was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky for a summer and was rated as a pistol expert. He was later honorably discharged as a Sergeant in Headquarters Company, 38th Division on September 20, 1929, when he was finally 18 years old.

It is not clear what Jim did from the time of his discharge until the fall of 1930.

Beginning in the fall of 1930, Jim attended Oakland City College in Oakland City, Indiana, 30 miles north of Evansville. Per The Mirror, the Oakland City College Yearbook:

1930/1931 School Year

Jim appears in the yearbook for the first time as a freshman. He was a Philosophy and English major. He was one of 17 members of the Glee Club, which performed the opera Bohemian Girl on Wednesday, June 10. He played the role of Devilshoof, Chief of the Gypsies, while his future wife, Bonnie, played the role of Eunice Blythe, in the Chorus of Gypsies. He was also a member of the Irish Navy, “an organization of men to sponsor a finer feeling of sportsmanship, to keep our pep bubbling, and lastly, and probably most important, to buy the honor sweaters our athletes earn and have the honor to wear.” The Irish Navy was the men’s counterpart to the women’s Peppy Pirates. He was also one of 22 players on the varsity football team.

He met Bonnie Maude Dinsmore during this school year at the college. They must have already begun dating this school year at some point, as classmate and former boyfriend Harland Walker writes in Bonnie’s yearbook, “Wishing you and Jim all the success and happiness in the world”. Harland learned news of her new relationship as captured in a humorous clip in the campus newspaper:

Bonnie: ”I have something to tell you.”

Walker: ”What?”

Bonnie: “But first you must take this. (gives him chloroform) I had a date with Jimmie this weekend.”

According to Bonnie Elizabeth, her dad said he “fell in love with Bonnie Maude’s knees”.

Also, according to Bonnie Elizabeth, her dad and mom played tennis in college, and both her parents studied the German language, likely due to the World War I conflict with Germany.

1931/1932 School Year

Jim had now jumped from the Freshman class to the Junior class, but it is not clear why. He was a member of the YMCA, the Glee Club, The Irish Navy, College “On the Air” programs and had also joined the Mirror staff as the Assistant Advertising Editor. He was again a player on the varsity football team, listed as a Tackle. According to the yearbook, “Jimmy, in his two years of playing, has become hard to handle. He has one more year to serve the Blue and White. And can be depended upon to stop his man”. Finally, he was a member of the Tennis Club.

Summer of 1932

Jim left Oakland City College, likely when his parents relocated from Indianapolis to Teaneck, New Jersey around this time. After leaving Oakland City College, during this period, amid the Great Depression, Jim was traveling around the country, bumming on freight trains from stop to stop, likely from June of 1932 until he enrolled in Bucknell University in central Pennsylvania for the 1932/1933 school year. On the road, Jim occasionally wrote letters to Bonnie on used newspapers (newsprint), because he could not afford stationery. One of these letters was dated July 24, 1932, postmarked from Upton, Wyoming. In the letter, he cited stops he had made in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and Wyoming. See the full letter contents below.

1932/1933 School Year

He likely began at Bucknell in 1932. He shared the football schedule for the 1932 season with Bonnie, which appears in her scrapbook. In a local paper announcement, Jim was announced in a role with the local radio station:

“Jimmy Dinsmore ‘34, who has received much favorable comment upon his announcing of the Fordham and Temple football tilts, has been made Assistant Program Director, in charge of student programs at WJBU. He wants student material for all types of entertainment – talks, vocal, piano, instrumental. He may be reached at the Lambda Chi Alpha house or through Mr. George Faint at 109 West College.”

He later appears as W. James Dinsmore in the 1934 Bucknell University yearbook. He was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and was also mentioned in connection with the honorary sophomore fraternity “The Friars”.

It is not clear why Jim did not complete college, although he was seemingly close. His later enlistment/discharge military papers indicated that he had completed 3.5 years of college toward a Bachelor of Arts (AB) degree.

Marriage and Children

Bonnie and Jim must have maintained an ongoing, long-distance relationship, as they were married on June 12, 1936, at 8:30 p.m., in East Orange, Essex County, New Jersey, a suburb of Newark, when they were both approximately 25 years old. They were married at the Oraton Parkway Baptist Church or in the chapel of First Baptist Church, East Orange at 8:30 p.m. Jim’s best man was Robert Gay of East Orange and Bonnie’s maid of honor was Jim’s sister, Elizabeth. Jim may have been living in New York City at the time according to their wedding announcement. They did not get married in Dixon because Papa O’by could not stand seeing his children get married due to the thought of losing them. Rather, they married in New Jersey, where Jim’s parents lived at the time and where his father, Carlos, a Baptist minister, officiated at their ceremony. After their ceremony, their reception was held at Carlos and Bertha’s home at 66 South Oraton Parkway in East Orange.

Jim and Bonnie had one child, Bonnie Elizabeth, born on June 13, 1937, at 5:30 a.m., in Stamford Connecticut at Stamford Hospital. At that time, they lived at 48 Highland Road in Stamford, which now appears to be an apartment complex. It is not clear how long they were in Stamford nor the reason they relocated there. However, it was not a lengthy stay. Contrary to much speculation, they did not name their daughter after the young character in the movie Gone with the Wind, but rather after Bonnie Maude herself. According to Bonnie Elizabeth, her parents had only one child due to Bonnie Maude’s very difficult childbirth experience. Her doctor had broken a leg in a skiing accident and therefore had to conduct the delivery on crutches and Bonnie Elizabeth was in a breech position. Due to these various complications, Bonnie Maude had to have reparative surgery years afterwards. As a result, Jim asserted that he would not put Bonnie Maude through childbirth again.

Adulthood

Bonnie and Jim were an unlikely couple, serving as an example of “opposites attract”. In contrast to Bonnie, who was conservative, steadfast and structured, Jim was adventurous, free-wheeling, extraverted and charismatic – comfortable being the center of attention in any group.

In a letter to grandson, Steve Riordan, in 1987, Bonnie Maude shared these sentiments about Jim:

“Jim was a complex man. Music moved him emotionally. It really got to him, and he hated to show that emotion lest he appear weak. He was generous to a fault and couldn’t do enough for his family and friends. He loved your mother “The Baby” so much. So often through the years he said, “’The Baby’ is the best thing that ever happened to me”. And then he’d say, “If anything ever happened to ‘The Baby’, I wouldn’t be worth a damn anymore.”

“Poppy (Jim) was always dedicated to any job he ever had. He put his whole heart and soul and body into his work. His philosophy was to always give more than you’re paid to do. I’m still in touch with Harry Miller, who first hired Jim to go with Frigidaire back in the 40s. Mr. Miller was the National Sales Manager here in Dayton before he retired. He not long ago told me that in all his long career of hiring people for Frigidaire, Jim was without a doubt the most outstanding and finest man he’d ever hired. He said, to him, Jim was typical of what in his mind the ideal General Motors employee should be – namely he was so enthusiastic, honest, loyal to his company, a great salesman, one who loved his work and one who gave far more than was expected of him. I think that is a high compliment and it’s so true. I told him there were two major subjects Jim and I had any arguments about and they were (1) whether or not I was taking good care of ‘The Baby’ and the other was (2) never, ever criticize a Frigidaire product!”

Jim loved to sing and play the piano or organ. Even though he could read music, he learned to play both instruments by ear. He loved it that Little Bonnie could sing at a very early age, and he loved showing her off to friends and visitors. He taught her some salty old songs, like “My Darling Clementine”, and “She Had the Form of an Old Apple Tree", and a few choice sayings, like, “I’m a little Dutchman and I drink beer! And my little tummy sticks a way out here!” This included a demonstration by little Bonnie pooching out her stomach! But he taught her some classics as well, like Danny Boy, and the Whiffenpoof Song which might be sung as a duet with her dad or perhaps a trio when Bonnie Maude would join in with her sweet, lyric soprano voice. That left the middle part to Bonnie Elizabeth. But the trio that is best remembered, and was most often requested, was their version of “Winter Wonderland” at Christmas time.

Jim loved just sitting down at any time and playing the piano and had accumulated an impressive repertoire that he could play, and sometimes, sing along with, as he had a beautiful baritone voice. He could play any one of them in the key of C or F.

Other things Bonnie Elizabeth remembers as she grew up with her Dad was what fun they had together. It might be said that Daddy Jim was so much fun because he was a great big kid himself during his younger years. He and Bonnie E. used to love macaroni and cheese and used every opportunity to mix catsup in them and call them brains! (Unappreciated by Bonnie Maude.) Because there would be no other children, Bonnie E. was Daddy Jim’s little boy, as well as his little girl. This puts things in a multi-faceted environment, like electric trains, story book dolls, Saturday night wrestling on TV among other things.

Radio was our Saturday morning and afternoon entertainment. Let’s Pretend was on every Saturday morning! Wholesome and imaginative, and dramatic, fairy tales, legends and classic children’s literature, sprinkled with commercials by Buster Brown Shoes! “I’m Buster Brown! I live in a shoe! Here’s my dog Tag! He lives in there too!”

We loved Buster Brown as well as the show itself! Then in the afternoons, opera music from The Metropolitan Opera House!! How we loved caterwauling to that! Making fun of all those soprano voices!! Little did we know that one day Little Bonnie would be one of those operatic sopranos!

All of these while playing with the train!! Then sometime later in the day, “The Shadow Knows”.

For many years, Jim and Bonnie had an antique pump organ at home with which he would entertain family and friends. He also wrote 20+ poems, short stories and musings over the years, as captured in a booklet published by Debby Riordan. Finally, he was a magician, mastering magic tricks he would use to break the ice with customers and prospects and to entertain family and friends.

At some point early in their marriage, Bonnie and Jim changed from attending Southern and Northern Baptist churches to attending Presbyterian and other protestant denominationalchurches. Bonnie Maude was very intellectual and liked the intellectual appeal of a more dignified overall experience.

1936 – 1938 Teaneck New Jersey. After they were married, Bonnie and Jim were likely living with Jim’s parents in Teaneck, New Jersey, along with Bonnie Elizabeth once she was born. During this period, Jim had a job “lugging beef” for Swift & Company in a facility in New Jersey. He was almost certainly doing heavy manual handling of large beef quarters or sides inside a cooler, rail-car dock, or cutting floor. The Swift & Company in the late 1930s was a dominant U.S. meat-packing giant, operating nationally with branded fresh meats, extensive by-product lines, and a vertically integrated supply chain. The decade found the company stabilizing after the Depression, expanding branded products, and maintaining its position as one of the “Big Four” Chicago packers, including Armour, Wilson and Cudahy.

1938 - 1941 Muskogee, Oklahoma. Jim’s older sister, Margaret and her husband H.A. “Red” Lynes already lived in Muskogee. Beginning in 1930, Red was a Sears & Roebuck assistant store manager in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. By 1934 Red had moved to Muskogee to take the position of store manager for the local Sears store, living at 111 N 16thStreet. Red and Margaret married in June of 1935 in Louisville and afterwards settled in Muskogee, living at 2406 Elgin Street. During this same period, Margaret began teaching at the Bacone Indian School (Native American) in Muskogee. By 1938 Red had left Sears to join Harbour’s Furniture Store as a Vice President. After that, in 1938, Jim, Bonnie and Bonnie moved to Muskogee, where Jim began working for Red at Harbour’s as a salesman, leaving the meat packing business behind. According to the city directory, Jim, Bonnie and Bonnie were living at 333 W 33rd Street, which no longer stands today. In its place stands the St. Francis Hospital complex. This western part of Muskogee was a bus ride away from downtown, where Jim worked. Bonnie and Bonnie Elizabeth, who was less than four years old, would often take the bus downtown to meet Jim after work for dinner and an occasional movie. This is where they also had their first dog, Trouble, a white Eskimo Spitz.

William James "Jim" Dinsmore (Continued)

Muskogee (continued)

An anecdote from Bonnie Elizabeth Dinsmore Riordan when she was quite young, while they were living in Muskogee, when Carlos and Bertha made a trip to Muskogee to visit with both their daughter, Margaret and Family and Jim and his family:

“Once when Carlos and Bertha were visiting us, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, at mealtime, grandfather began offering the blessing, whereupon I turned to my mother and asked out loud, ‘What the man doing, Mama? What the man doing?’”

Little Bonnie’s statement obviously revealed that Jim and family did not regularly pray at mealtimes.

1941- 1948 Sapulpa, Oklahoma. In 1941, Jim left his job with Harbour Furniture to go to work for Milford Davis as a salesman at his furniture store, called the Davis Rule Furniture Store, in Sapulpa, a suburb of Tulsa, 60 miles to the northwest of Muskogee. According to Bonnie Elizabeth as told to Bonnie Maude, “A furniture rep who called on the store [Harbour’s in Muskogee] where Dad worked and also called on Davis Rule in Sapulpa told Milford Davis about Dad as a go-getter, trying to get ahead and Milford brought him to Sapulpa and interviewed him and he got the job.” In Sapulpa, they lived at 606 S. Hickory Street on the first floor, which is now a vacant lot, while another family, Henry and Lillian Erwin, rented the upstairs floor. Jim worked for Davis Rule both before and after his service in World War II.

Infamously, with a swell of patriotism after the Pearl Harbor attack, Jim and Dick McCaig, husband of Bonnie E.’s tap dance teacher Ivene, volunteered to join the Navy. However, Jim told Bonnie that he had been drafted. She did not learn the truth until many years after the war had ended. Here is the story in her own words:

Jim worked at Davis Rule Furniture Store in Sapulpa during 1942 feeling guilty when asked by service men’s mothers why he wasn’t serving. Jim wasn’t eligible at that time to be drafted as he was past 30 with a pre-Pearl Harbor child and explained this to questioners. In 1943, when he was 32 years old, he had his draft registration transferred to Tulsa from Muskogee and didn’t mention that to me. In 1943 he told me he had been drafted and was to report to Tulsa for his exam.

After Jim had been gone for months, I read an article in a Tulsa newspaper – the heading was Muskogee, Oklahoma and said, “the Muskogee Draft Board is proud of the fact it has never yet had to draft a pre-Pearl Harbor father”. I stormed upstairs to read the article to Henry Erwin, swearing they were lying for propaganda purposes, and I intended to demand a retraction. Finally, he grinned and said, “Did it ever occur to you that Jim wasn’t drafted but volunteered?” Henry had known since the beginning and that is how I found out!

Jim served from the Fall of 1943 to November 1945 while Bonnie and Bonnie continued to live in Sapulpa. He served in the U.S. Naval Construction Battalion (CB), known as the Seabees, derived from the first two letters of their name. The Seabees primarily served the role of construction in service of the logistics of the war. They were conceived as the equivalent of civilian construction companies but in combat zones, able to work anywhere, under any conditions or circumstances. They had a storied legacy of field ingenuity in creating runways, buildings, forward bases, etc., often forward of combat operations and therefore also encountered hostilities directly.

Jim was first stationed at Camp Peary in Williamsburg, Virginia for basic training. Notably, Camp Peary eventually became the training center for CIA covert operations, known as “The Farm” and is inaccessible today. He first started at the United States Naval Construction Training Center (USNCTC) at Camp Peary, before moving on to the United States Naval Training and Distribution Center (USNTADC) also at Camp Peary. This was a major processing facility where sailors were assigned to outgoing operational units.

Jim waited at Camp Peary for almost a year before he was transferred to New York City for his final shipping orders. In 1943, Bonnie and Bonnie visited Jim at Camp Peary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where Jim was stationed for basic training. During that same period, Jim returned to Sapulpa for a short leave.

Also, during this same period, according to his discharge papers, he also trained at The Naval Amphibious Training Base Solomons, the United States's first official naval amphibious training base, operating in Solomons, Maryland. The base was established on July 3, 1942, on the Patuxent River and Dowell Peninsula to train troops for World War II. The base, 2+ hours away from Camp Peary was the site for training nearly 68,000 soldiers, sailors, marines, and Coast Guardsmen in amphibious warfare.

When Jim shipped out, he passed through the Panama Canal on the way to Hawaii and the Pacific Theater. From there he mailed Bonnie Maude a pair of silk hose, which were not available in the States. According to Bonnie Maude, “he was so good about writing letters home, sometimes writing every day”.

Once in Hawaii, Jim was stationed at The Waipio Amphibious Operating Base, which was an active part of the Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Oahu, Hawaii, during World War II. Of all the naval functions established on the Waipio Peninsula in the early 1940s, the Amphibious Operating Base was the most directly involved in supporting the United States' island-hopping campaigns across the Pacific. Operating primarily between 1943 and 1945, the base was used as a massive staging and training ground to prepare personnel, landing craft, and equipment for assault landings on enemy-held islands. Because it was built rapidly to meet urgent wartime demands, almost all structures erected on the peninsula were temporary, including tents, Quonset huts, and wooden warehouses.

Jim was specifically assigned to Landing Craft Tank Flotilla 42, Group 113 (LCT Flotilla 42 / (LCT) 6 GRU 113). He was assigned to amphibious landing craft units that transported heavy armor, vehicles, supplies, and troops directly onto beaches.

Jim’s service records track his promotions from entry-level sailor to senior petty officer. First as Apprentice Seaman (AS), the entry level rank upon enlistment. He was then promoted to Ship’s Cook First Class, a Petty Officer First Class responsible for preparing meals for large groups of men under expeditionary conditions. After that, he was promoted to Chief Commissary Steward (acting appointment), his highest rank achieved. In this role, he was the chief petty officer in charge of the ship’s or the unit’s entire galley, food provisioning, inventory and kitchen crew, e.g. the lead cook. The “acting appointment” was a wartime designation where a sailor held the rank and authority of a Chief Petty Officer prior to final permanent confirmation.

A photo and note from August 22, 1945, at West Lock, Pearl Harbor, places Jim aboard an amphibious vessel right at the end of the war (Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945). In the photo from at West Lock, Pearl Harbor is the handwritten note “Chef Jim aboard a CT ((Landing Craft Tank) LCT 1233?) “Sea Pup” atop USS LST 49 just before he sailed to Japan”. Smaller LCTs (Landing Craft Tanks) were often transported across the ocean piggybacked on top of the main deck of larger LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank). LCT 1233, carried "Sea Pup" style boats on top of USS LST-49 boats was standard practice for shipping craft to the Pacific Theater. He may have also served on LCT 514 or LST 964, which was very typical for amphibious force service. Sailors assigned to an LCT Flotilla or Group were frequently rotated among several small landing craft within that group as needs required. LCT 1233 carried atop LST-49 directly matches the photographic evidence from August 1945 at Pearl Harbor as his unit prepared to move forward for the occupation of Japan.

Finally, the war ended and therefore, Jim’s commitment. He sent a telegram on November 6, 1945, to Bonnie E. “SAILING TONIGHT ARRIVE FRISCO ON THIRTEENTH WIRE THERE STOP KISS MOTHER FOR ME LOTS OF LOVE = DADDY JIM.”

After the war concluded, Jim was honorably discharged on November 21, 1945, from the US Naval Personnel Separation Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

Posthumously, Jim was included with a picture in the World War II Memorial at the Dole Institute of Politics in Lawrence, Kansas 2006 in a touch panel interactive display as submitted by Bonnie Elizabeth.

Bonnie & Jim’s good friends in Sapulpa included Dick and Ivene McCaig. Dick was Jim’s enlistment partner in crime and Ivene was Bonnie Maude’s good friend, and Bonnie Elizabeth’s tap dance teacher. Their other good friends were Jean and John Mose – John was also their family dentist.

Jim, Bonnie & Bonnie lived in three different locations from 1948 to 1949, including

Sapulpa, Fort Smith, Arkansas and Miami, Oklahoma, Bonnie Elizabeth attended three different schools in a year. She would have been approximately eleven years old at the time and in the sixth grade. The exact details of the timing and the nature of Jim’s work are still elusive, but the following chronology is based on Bonnie Elizabeth’s best recollection along with other supporting documentation. Also in 1948, his father died in Michigan and was buried in Indianapolis on April 5th. When Jim carried Carlos from the house to the car to be taken to the hospital, Carlos said to his son, “You think you’re pretty smart, don’t you?”, which indicated their still tense relationship.

1948 – 1948 Fort Smith, Arkansas, approximately 130 miles to the southeast of Sapulpa. In Fort Smith, Bonnie Elizabeth attended The Peabody School, which was later converted into special education center but is no longer standing and has been replaced with apartment buildings. Bonnie Elizabeth is not 100% sure of Jim’s occupation and reason for going because it was so short lived. It is possible that Jim left his job with Davis Rule to pursue an opportunity with Frigidaire, a division of General Motors, in Fort Smith.

1948 – 1949 Miami, Oklahoma. From Fort Smith, the family next moved to Miami, Oklahoma, a town 155 miles north of Fort Smith and 102 miles northeast of Tulsa, almost to the Missouri border. Milford Davis wanted to open a Firestone store in Miami and recruited Jim (likely away from Frigidaire) to team up with him to run the store. Apparently, this venture did not do well and therefore did not last long.

1948 – 1949 Midwest City, Oklahoma. Moving on from Fort Smith and the Firestone venture, the family moved to Midwest City, Oklahoma, a southeastern suburb of Oklahoma City, 195 miles to the southwest of Miami. This is when Jim rejoined Frigidaire as the division manager of the Oklahoma City sales territory. According to Bonnie Maude, “The Davis Rule store handled Frigidaire products, and it wasn’t long before one of the Frigidaire sales representatives told Jim he should apply to the Oklahoma City branch for a vacancy they had in sales. This he did and remained with General Motors for 25+ years”. They lived in a neighborhood that butted up against Tinker Air Force Base, where Bonnie Elizabeth attended junior high school. Even though Jim had been in the Navy, Bonnie was able to attend school on the Air Force Base.

1949 – 1952 Dayton, Ohio. After a year in Oklahoma City, Jim secured a new role with Frigidaire in Dayton, Ohio as the national sales representative for electric ranges. The family first rented a home at 54 W. Bruce Avenue off N. Main Street, then they rented a home at 448 Grafton Avenue, off Salem Avenue, near the Dayton Art Institute. Bonnie Elizabeth attended the 8th, 9th, 10th grades at Colonel White lower high school and was due to next attend Fairview High School, the senior high school for students in the 11th and 12th grades. Colonel White was located at 501 Niagara Avenue in the Santa Clara / Mount Vernon neighborhood but was demolished in 2008 and is now a small park surrounded by homes. During this period, Jim and Bonnie taught Bonnie Elizabeth’s first boyfriend, Ron Tateman, how to play bridge and he would come over to play with them often.

1952 – 1955 Overland Park, Kansas. In 1953, Jim was promoted to Appliance Sales Manager for Frigidaire’s Kansas City branch The family relocated to 7515 Mackey Road in Overland Park, Kansas, a southwestern suburb of Kansas City and attended Countryside Christian Church. Bonnie Elizabeth completed high school at Shawnee Mission High School, constituting the largest Senior class graduating in the United States the summer of 1954. During high school, Bonnie Elizabeth attended band camp at Kansas University one summer, including earning the honor to sing a solo. As a result, she fell in love with KU and decided to attend the university beginning Fall of 1954 as a Voice major. This is when Bonnie and Jim first became “empty nesters”.

1955 – 1957 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1955, Jim was promoted to Branch Sales Manager for Oklahoma City. The family relocated to a rental home at 1020 Classen Avenue, at the intersection with N.A. 14thStreet (1020), while Bonnie Elizabeth was also away at college. Bonnie Elizabeth also participated in a USO tour in the summer of 1956. After graduation in 1958, Bonnie Elizabeth won a contest that enabled her to sing with the Central City Opera, for the summer session. While there she received word that she had been awarded a scholarship to study at the ETH, Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule in Zurich, Switzerland, (umlaut on ‘o’ in Eidgenossische and ‘u’ in Zurich) for the fall of 1958 through the spring of 1959. During this period, Jim’s mother, Bertha, would make periodic, extended visits with her children after her husband had died in 1948.

During one of these visits with Bonnie and Jim, she fell and broke her hip while Jim was travelling for business, and Bonnie Maude was on her way to pick Bonnie Elizabeth up at college. Bonnie and Bonnie did not discover Bertha for hours. Subsequently, Bonnie Maude cared for Bertha, who was set up in an upstairs bedroom. Bertha was set up with a bell to ring when she needed something from Bonnie Maude. Apparently, things got testy at times, with Bertha’s demands needing to be satisfied. After coalescing with Bonnie and Jim, Bertha went on to spend time with her daughter, Margaret, in Chicago.

1957 – 1966 Dayton, Ohio. In 1958, Jim was promoted to a role in Frigidaire’s main office, its headquarters in Dayton, Ohio. Jim was the National Product Sales Manager for ranges, air conditioners and dishwashers. They moved into a house at 413 Harmon Blvd in Oakwood. As Bonnie and Jim moved to Dayton, Bonnie Elizabeth took a job in Central City, Colorado in summer of 1958 to sing in the opera and then went on directly to study abroad in Zurich, Switzerland for the 1958 – 1959 school year, She returned to Dayton in the spring of 1959 and moved back in with her parents on Harmon Blvd – she had the entire upstairs loft as her bedroom.

In March of 1960, Bonnie Elizabeth started dating Bob Riordan, whom she had met via one of Bob’s fraternity brothers. They had an accelerated courtship and by May Bob had proposed to Bonnie Elizabeth and wanted to get married right away. The first time Jim met Bob, he greeted him at the door of their home holding two pistols, saying “What’s this I hear about you wanting to marry my daughter?”

Bonnie Maude’s father, Papa O’by, died in May 1960. At that time Bonnie Elizabeth had just become engaged to Bob. However, Bonnie Maude asked that Bob not attend the funeral because he was, as of that time, not yet introduced to the family. Bob and Bonnie got married June 18th, 1960.

Nine months later, Jim and Bonnie Maude’s first grandchild, Steve, was born on March 15, 1961.

By 1963, Bob built a new home for Jim and Bonnie at 6508 Hollins Way in Centerville, where they lived until 1966.

In 1963, Jim and Bonnie Maude’s second grandchild, Jeff, was born on August 14th.

1966 – 1969 New Orleans, Louisiana. Jim was promoted to a role as acting Sales Zone Manager for Frigidaire in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1966. In September 1968, he was subsequently promoted to be the permanent Sales Zone Manager, succeeding Ober L. Wortz, who retired after 40 years of service to General Motors, owner of Frigidaire. According to Bonnie Elizabeth, it was like a honeymoon period for them. Bonnie, Bob, Steve and Jeff visited them while they were living there. In New Orleans, they lived north of downtown and a few blocks south of Lake Pontchartrain in the Lake Terrace / Lake Oaks district at 1707 Jay Street. Also in 1966, Jim’s mother died in Maywood, Illinois on August 6th and was buried in Indianapolis, alongside Carlos.

1969 – 1978 Dayton, Ohio. Jim was promoted to a role as National Appliance Sales Manager, Private Brands Operations for Frigidaire. After returning from New Orleans, they moved to 1455 Delynn Drive in Black Oak in Centerville, where they lived from 1969 To 1978.

As empty nesters, Bonnie and Jim enjoyed each other’s company and time with family and friends every place they lived. They also enjoyed traveling, especially fishing trips to destinations such as Islamorada in the Florida Keys. They took a trip to Ozarks with her sister, Lois, and brother-in-law, FM. While in Dayton, Jim earned a Frigidaire sales reward trip to Honolulu, Hawaii and they both thoroughly enjoyed it, although Bonnie Maude, who was not a good swimmer, did not like the long flights over the Pacific Ocean. Fortunately, Jim earned a second trip to Hawaii, this time to Kauai. One of the great advantages of working for a division of General Motors was the option to get a new car each year. Jim and Bonnie regularly enjoyed a new Cadillac each year for many years.

They also played games, such as gin rummy, frequently, dined together and visited and had dinners with Bonnie Elizabeth and family at home and at local restaurants like Steak & Ale and Bill Knapps. Although Jim would have a Manhattan drink almost every night, Bonnie would only occasionally join in with a whiskey sour. Jim was a big storyteller and known to embellish quite a bit at times. However, Bonnie would keep him honest and even occasionally shake her head in disagreement about these stories, to his frustration.

In March 1973 Jim retired from Frigidaire. At his retirement he received a binder full of heartfelt tribute letters from his Frigidaire colleagues, customers and business friends. After a short period of retirement, Jim went to work for Ken Fletcher, a former professional connection, at his furniture store in Dayton, called Robard’s. Jim then opened a used furniture store called Nuthin New in Centerville, which thrived. At this point, Bonnie Maude and Bonnie Elizabeth had already begun to suspect that Jim was having memory issues that may have even contributed to his early retirement.

Bonnie Maude’s mother, Mama O’by, died in June 1976. Bonnie Maude, Jim, Bonnie Elizabeth, Bob, Steve and Jeff all travelled to Dixon, Kentucky for the visitation and funeral service.

1978 – 1980 or 1981 Sapulpa, Oklahoma. At some point Bonnie and Jim decided that they would like to retire to Sapulpa, where they had some of their best experiences and best friends who still lived there. Bonnie Maude committed to this move, already knowing something was wrong with Jim to allow him the most happiness at the end of his life. In the fall of 1978, they moved into a one-story home on 2409 Thunderbird Lane in southwestern Sapulpa, with sweeping views of looking west.

While back in Sapulpa, Bonnie and Jim rekindled their friendship with Dick and Ivene McCaig. For example, they attended a lecture and dinner, hosted by some sort of captain, as seen in several pictures. Unfortunately, from these same photos, one can see that Jim was beginning to show evidence of dementia.

Unfortunately, in less than a year, Jim’s health rapidly declined because of what was later diagnosed as Alzheimer’s Disease. For a while, Bonnie Maude tried to care for Jim in Sapulpa, but ultimately, had to move back to Dayton, to gain the support of Bonnie Elizabeth and family and their Dayton-based healthcare providers.

May 22, 1980, Jim’s sister, Dorothy passed away in Louisville, Kentucky

1980 or 1981 – 1996 Dayton, Ohio. Returning from Sapulpa, Bonnie and Jim moved into a garden home in Patriots Square in Centerville, 968 Patriot Square Drive. Unfortunately, the movers from Mayflower arrived on Christmas Eve with all their household belongings drunk, which infuriated Bonnie Maude.

In 1982, Jim’s and Bonnie Maude’s first great grandchild, Kristen, was born on April 25th.

As Jim continued to decline, Bonnie Maude took over 100% of the household management responsibilities, which she was prepared to handle based on her prior experience running things while Jim was in the service and on the road for business trips. Fortunately, she was very competent and frugal.

Bonnie cared for Jim at home from 1980 or 1981 until 1983. In 1983, Bonnie and Bonnie made the difficult decision to move Jim into a nursing home. The first nursing home did not work out, as they were “beating him”. They subsequently moved him to a new nursing home, Quaker Heights Nursing Home, in Waynesville, Ohio, a short drive from Centerville.

Death

Jim died on July 27, 1985, in Waynesville, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton, at the Quaker Heights nursing home at the age of 74 due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease, although, on his death certificate, his cause of death is indicated as cardiopulmonary arrest due to general atherosclerosis.

The first visitation service for Jim was conducted at Routsong Funeral Home in Centerville, Ohio on Wednesday, July 31st. A subsequent visitation service for him was held in Dixon, Kentucky, his wife’s hometown, at the Townsend Funeral Home on Thursday, December 5th. He was then buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, also in Dixon, where numerous family members are buried, including Bonnie Maude and her parents and grandparents.

Bonnie Maude went on to live another 11 years after his death. Jim was survived by two of his sisters, Margaret and Elizabeth.

A reflection from Bonnie Maude on her relationship with Jim from a letter she wrote to her grandson, Steve, on January 18, 1987:

“There are times when I’d give anything just to see his face again. I dream about him frequently. Some dreams are good. They go back into time when he was well and times were happy. Others are not so good, and I see him ill and not able to function well. I don’t know how much got through to him, but I only hope he knew that your mother and I took good care of him and we all loved him”.

Letter from Jim to Bonnie

Letter to from Jim Dinsmore to Bonnie Maude Overby – Transcribed by Steve Riordan from handwritten letter on newspaper:

Sunday July 24. Upton Wyo. 1932

Dear Bonnie,

Gosh, it’s been a long time since I heard from you. Of course, you didn’t know where I was. I wonder if you cared. I do hope so.

A week ago Friday July 17 I got a letter from Marley saying that they were leaving for the West at 11 p.m. that night. The letter reached me at 11 a.m. I beat it to Vincennes and we caught a freight and rode to Flora, Illinois where the cops shook down the train and ran us all (about 50 bums) out of town. By the way Rip and Marley’s kid brother were along. Anyway, we didn’t get out of there till noon the next day. But we hit St. Louis about 5 p.m. and went to the YMCA for a bath and I washed some dishes for a meal. All the others had some money but for me. We left St. Louis at 9 p.m. for Kansas City and boy what a beating I took. I hopped on a car and rode the top. It was a Manifest Express and went like the Devil and the coal it threw and left me black and blue all over and both eyes got full of cinders. I stood it about 10 miles then I ran the tops about 20 cars and found a flat. We go in K.C. Sunday a.m. and promoted some food and had a bath and caught a freight to St. Joseph via Leavenworth and from there caught a C.B. & A. freight to Omaha, Neb. and from there to Norfolk via the C & H W from Norfolk we rode to Chadron [a city in Nebraska] (all the time looking for work). Yes I forgot to mention I went to sleep and fell off the train near St. Joe. I didn’t get hurt. So it was OK.

Page 2

From there we caught a freight to Crawford and then we split up. Marley and I caught a fast passenger out of there and left Rip and young Morley to catch a freight 12 hours later. Both of them had a pretty bad scare and lost their nerve and so they had to rest up some. I’ve had some pretty close ones but I didn’t mind. Well we caught it and got kicked off at Edgemont South Dakota and so we caught a freight to Newcastle Wyoming where I met a woman who said she could get me a job at ranch near Upton. So, Marley and I split up. He went on toward Montana and I came to Upton – and failed to get a job. Well last night I had made up my mind to catch a thru freight for Omaha and head back home and go to Camp Knox and from there to Dixon (with your consent) when Irene Irnet another woman who said her husband might be able to use me on his ranch. So I am waiting now for him. If I get this job, I’ll probably be here a month or more. If not I’m heading East tomorrow a.m. and heading home.

Darling please forgive me the mistreatment and neglect you’ve gotten from me. And I want you to know that is really you I love and I couldn’t love anyone else. And I want you worse than ever. And as soon as I can I shall come and see you and maybe I’ll be able to get into the cattle business for myself and then if you still love me I can bring you out here next year and Honey school teachers are better paid here than at home and there are four times as many openings. So you could teach if you wished.

Gee I was blue last night. All alone hungry and far away from you. I prayed for the first time in weeks and Honey it helped. I believe if you still love me I can get back to living right. Write me at Box 165 Upton Wyoming please.

Loads of love,

Jim

Riordan-Durant Family Tree

Connecting Generations, Sharing Stories

William James "Jim" Dinsmore (1911 - 1985)

William James "Jim" Dinsmore (Continued)

Letter from Jim to Bonnie

Capturing Memories: An Ancestral Photo Album

Riordan-Durant Family Tree

Connecting Generations, Sharing Stories

William James "Jim" Dinsmore (1911 - 1985)

William James "Jim" Dinsmore (Continued)

Letter from Jim to Bonnie

Capturing Memories: An Ancestral Photo Album

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