Jimmie Bailey Carlton

50th Reunion Picture

Spring, TX

Address information may be obtained by emailing your request to the webmaster

I don’t really know where to start my biography.  I have been real hesitant to send it, as I am almost embarrassed at the lack of accomplishments.  I really feel like an underachiever compared to the other biographies that have already been submitted.  All I can say is my life has been one of survival - no fault of anybody’s but my own, and I’m certainly not asking for sympathy or making excuses.

Ginger and I started dating, married and started having children, at least it was supposed to be in that order (oh well), so young we weren’t able to even consider a college degree, even though looking back now it would have been wonderful.  We both did graduate from high school in 1960 and each had two babies to our credit at the time of our graduation.

I married Bob Wilhelm at the ripe old age of 16.  We had Jim Bob, who is now 47 years old and he has a son (Michael) that is 21.

Then I married Chuck Smithson while attending Central Baptist Church.  We had two daughters, Judy that has been missing for 24 years; she would have been 44.  Julie is 42 and has a son age 22 (Caine) and a daughter age 20 (Tiffany). So my children and grandchildren are all grown or think they are, and are out on their own, no great grandbabies yet.

In my second marriage that lasted 17 years, he became a minister.  I worked and put him through the Baptist seminary in Fort Worth.  He was raised in the Assembly of God church but became a Southern Baptist minister.  We first pastored the Second Baptist Church, in Fayetteville, Ark., then went to the First Baptist Church in Nashville, Ark., where we tore down the old church building and rebuilt a new one.  From there we went to the First Baptist Church of Sulphur, La.  The people there didn’t go along with the Assembly of God pentecostal practices he tried to bring into that Southern Baptist congregation, and the church voted him out and split the church wide open.  He then started the Metropolitan Baptist Church there in Sulphur.  As far as I know it is still flourishing.  We divorced in 1974. 

I have been with this same company for 24 years.  I worked 15 years in the property tax dept and have spent the remainder years in the residential sales dept.  It started out as Mitchell Energy & Development, then became Woodlands Corporation; now it is The Woodlands Operating Company owned by Crescant Realty out of Ft. Worth.  I retired in 1995, but they called me back.  So I plan to stay with them until March of 2005. 

I have been married to my current husband, Bob, for 24 years.  I think he is going to be a keeper (Ha!).  We are eagerly anticipating retirement in less than two years.  We haven’t done any major traveling, which we plan to make up for once we acquire that retirement status.  Twelve of our family members are going on a Caribbean cruise in Nov. to celebrate Kay’s, my younger sister’s 60^th birthday.  

I am sorry I am not going to be able to attend the reunion in September.  My best friend moved to Barbados, and for quite some time we have had airline tickets to go there, the very same weekend of the reunion. 

It seems many of our class has taken advantage of the cruise scene.  Maybe for the next reunion everyone could come our way and go on a cruise out of Galveston.  They have started that in the last few years, and it is really going well.  In the meantime, I am thoroughly enjoying keeping up with everyone through the e-mail system. 

Take care and best wishes, I know you all will have a wonderful time in Sept. 

My love,

 Jimmie