James  Glines's Memorial

James Glines
(1920 - 2012)

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General Details

Name: Mr James Glines
Gender: Male
Age: 91 years old
Lived: Thursday, 18 November 1920 - Wednesday, 16 May 2012

My Story

In 1939 , at the age of 19, Jim Glines caught a train from Minnesota to Seattle. Thus began his great adventure. He only had the clothes on his back. The train was freight and he hitched a ride like a hobo. When he arrived in Seattle, he had .25 cents in his pocket. He spent it on a meal as he hadn't eaten in 3 days

 

In early 1940 he was hired by Boeing He started working as a bucker building B-17 bombers for Britain and their war effort. Boeing had 3 plants manufacturing B-17's. Of all the planes built in Seattle only 2 remain. One of those planes is the Memphis Belle. Yes, Jim Glines built the left wing on the famous Memphis Belle.

 

After he left Boeing, he went to work for University Chevy as a mechanic. Consider that he had been working on aircraft engines and then starting fixing autos is pretty amazing. We often forget that in those days professions were fixed and you stayed in them for 30+ years.

 

He worked at University Chevy for 8 years before leaving in 1953. He and his wife, Irene, took their savings and bought a Dairy Farm just north of Seattle.

He sold the Dairy Farm in, 1959 and then moved down to Lake City in Seattle and bought a service station. Today, service stations are very rare, if any exist at all. It was far more than gas, it included all the service one did to a car.

 

He eventually bought and owned his own car upholstery shop in downtown Bellevue. At the time, he would re-upholster car seats

 

His grandson, Peter remembers this shop from when he visited it when as a kid. Just next door was a gas station. For those in the Seattle area who want to drive by and see where it used to be, it was on the Main Street in Bellevue between 106th and 105th. The old gas station is now a Jiffy Lube and his old shop is now a security and lock shop. BTW, the building is the same one Jim Glines used. It's been remodeled but is still the same structure

 

After he sold his car upholstery shop in the mid 80's he purchased an oil well in California.  He later sold that and bought an Apartment complex.

 

Jim and his wife Irene built 3 homes together, from foundation to roof, siding to finish work inside. Jim never finished 7th grade , however that never stopped him from following his dreams, or being successful.  He once said that "he never envied the rich, he simply wanted to know how he could become rich himself. He didn't want their piece of the pie, he wanted his own pie".

 

Jim and Irene met in November of 1941, they had known each other 3 weeks when he proposed on December 6th, 1941. Less than 2 months later, they got married on Jan 30th, 1942. People that knew them gave them 6 months. This past January,2012 they celebrated their 70th Wedding anniversary. They beat their nay-Sayers 140 times over.


He lived a full and interesting life, and he will be greatly missed. He leaves behind his beloved wife, his son and daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

 

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Biography

Spouse's Name: Irene K. Glines
City of Residence: Redmond, WA
Marital Status: Married

Interests

Passing

Date of Passing: 16 May 2012
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