Earl James O'Maley , known to most of his family and friends as simply, "James," was born on January 14, 1919 to Theodore Earl and Anna Mae O'Maley on the family homestead three miles east and two miles south of Campo, Colorado, in the middle of a bad blizzard. He lived east of Campo from birth until his health failed and he moved into the town of Campo and then later to the Walsh Healthcare Center in February of 1997.
James was a farmer and rancher all of his life. He raised mostly milo, wheat, broomcorn, and some sunflowers and soybeans. He had been through many bad times such as dirt storms, blizzards, droughts, rabbit drives, and many more. James was always a fighter clear up to the end. He just kept moving on, no matter what he had to face.
James loved the outdoors and loved to work in his garden. Later in life, he built his own greenhouse where he spent a lot of time growing vegetables the year round since his greenhouse had a heater in it.
James walked many miles behind a team of horses, pulling plows, harrows, and the lister. He had a 4-H project as a young man, where he had to take his exhibits to the county fair in Two Buttes; his calf won the blue ribbon and $5. He knew what hard work was as a child and all through the rest of his life.
James attended Liberty Bell School for the first two years of school. He finished gradeschool and two years of high school at the Campo School where he rode a horse those three miles to school each day. He finished high school and 3½ years of college at the Immanuel Missionary Bible College in Colorado Springs with a major in education. He also received a certificate of veterinary science through a correspondence course. James was always three to six weeks late starting school because he was helping on the farm. Then he was taken out of school early to help plant the broomcorn.
While in college he met Anna Victoria Barnes from Humboldt, Nebraska. They were married on June 10, 1941, and their honeymoon was moving to Campo. To this marriage three girls were born: LeAnne, Janet, and Earlene. James was a devoted and loving husband and father. He was always building onto their house to make life easier for his wife and daughters. In one house, he dug a basement under the existing house by hand. He was always there when his daughters needed him.
In 1956, James moved his family up to Colorado Springs where his daughters could get a better education, and Anna had a job up there. He kept their farm in the Campo area, so he went back and forth during the winter. Anna and the girls moved to the farm during the summer.
As a Texas Triumph seed dealer, profit was not his goal, but rather he would sell the seed for cost in order to help his friends and neighbors. James held numerous patents on his creation of farm and ranching equipment. He was always looking for a way to be a better farmer and rancher and, if the tools were not there, he would make them himself. It was said on more than one occasion that he could fix anything with baling wire.
James was a very big-hearted man. He would let his farming go to get his dad's farming done. His granddad had a store in Colorado Springs which his parents ran, and he would go help out there when things got really busy. That was the kind of man he was.
James was devoted to his family, he loved the outdoors and was not a stranger to hard work, but there were a great many other things for which he will be remembered. James could sing, and not just to his family. He was in a male quartet that went to all the singing conventions. He was saved early in life, and his faith in the Lord was a key part of who he was. After moving to Walsh he attended all of the Bible studies once a week and attended church on Sunday afternoons as long as he was able.
Family, community, and faith were all very important to James O'Maley. Even though he couldn't always say the words, he was able to communicate with anyone through his facial expressions and with his eyes. A great many people will remember that "Million Dollar Smile" and when he had his "twinkle" on, referring to the vibrant twinkle in his eyes. The family's memories of him are never-ending, but each and every one are blessed to have had him as a part of their lives.
A few more memories of James include:
• The accidental locking of a coyote in the chicken coop.
• His fierce competitive nature when playing dominoes.
• Allowing his granddaughters to ride on the luggage rack of the car, much to the chagrin of his wife and their mother.
• His dedication to the "Red Tractor" industry.
• The building of a schoolhouse at the family farm to provide a quality education for his children.
• Cleaning the barn with his brother and experiencing their first rolling dirt storm.
• And last but certainly not least, the sharing of his gardening ability with the members of the Walsh Health Care Center and winning blue ribbons at the county fair with his ever successful "Green Thumb."
James passed away on December 29, 2010 at the age of 91. He leaves to mourn two of his daughters, LeAnne Hawley of Garden City, Kansas, and Janet Rhodes of Alliance, Ohio. He also leaves four granddaughters, eight great-grandchildren, and four great, great-grandchildren, his brother Merlin [Ruth] O'Maley of Colorado Springs, Colorado, several nieces and nephews, and a host of friends and neighbors. James was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Anna, his daughter Earlene, two brothers-in-law, two sisters-in-law, three sons-in-law, and one grandson-in-law.