James Edward Bingham (Ted)

Ted was born in Manassa Colorado, to Jeremiah Edward Bingham and Ada Zoa Jack on the 5 of August 1898. He was the second child. he had an older sister, May, and a younger sister, . Bessie who was born in 1900, and died shortly after her birth. When Ted was nearly 3 years old, His father was killed in a logging accident. His mother was pregnant with Dorthy. she was born about a month after their father died.

For some reason May and Dad lived with Aunt Mattie and Dorthy lived with Grandma Jack. Dorthy died when she was about 8 years old. Grandma Bingham (Zoa) married Charles Peterson and lived in Espanola, New Mexico. Grandma Zoa had two children there, Esther and Irene. Ester was the oldest of the two. Irene only live about 2 months and was buried in New Mexico, Grandma Zoa died in New Mexico in 1907, when Daddy was 9 years old. She was buried there. Esther was blind and lived to be quite old. I met her several times and when she died, (when her trailer home burned). we went to her funeral in New Mexico. Dorthy and Bessie are buried in the old Manassa Cemetery.

I think Daddy had a hard time as a child. Aunt May stayed with Aunt Mattie until she was grown, but Daddy went back and forth with Uncle Ab(Abner) and Aunt Zem(Ozemba) Jack, and Aunt Mattie. Aunt Mattie didn't have children of her own and Grandma Dunn thought Aunt May was an easier child to raise than Daddy so he was with the one he got along with at the time. He never thought he had a home of his own until he and Mama were married. He and Mama were so very close. You hardly saw one without the other. When Mama died, Daddy was so broken-hearted, it was hard to see how he suffered. Sometimes he would go the the cemetery and lay down on Mama's grave and cry. It nearly broke our hearts.

Daddy went to school in Manassa. I think he only went through the 8th grade. When he was too young to be on his own, he left both of his homes and took all kinds of work and stayed with friends or where ever he happened to be. In a way he was a lost child. As he grew up he learned many trades. Aunt Mattie sent him to barber school, but he never set up a shop. I didn't know that until just a few years ago. I know that in the Summers, he sometimes worked for a Dude Ranch, taking people on pack trips into the high mountains. He talked about that sometimes, but he rarely talked about how he grew up. Aunt Jenny used to tell me things about him. In Uncle Ab's family, there were 7 boys and they were like brothers to him. He would somestimes get into fights with them, like brothers do sometimes. My Dad had a temper that it took him a lifetime to over come. I don't remember him ever getting mad at us children. He was always a tender parent. He loved his family greatly. I think we were his great joy.