James grew up and spent his younger years in Tennessee where his father taught him the delicious art of barbeque. When James was 20 years old, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. After his time of service, James moved to St Paul and opened his own barber shop. James was the local celebrity barber in his neighborhood for over 30 years. Everyone in the neighborhood knew James for his kind, generous, and outgoing personality, he was one of those people that made every day a good day for others. James was also well known for his famous backyard barbeques he would host for his friends, family, and neighbors.
When talking with James about his backyard barbeques, he said they were so popular that people would just invite themselves. It was his way of giving back to the people he cared about. This week we had the opportunity to help James host his own barbeque here at his new community. The day started with our Culinary Coordinator, Keith, and James starting the smoker and getting all the food cooking. James decided to make chicken with his special Italian Teriyaki marinade and his classic short ribs which were served with collard greens, potato salad, corn bread, and James’s favorite dessert- pecan pie. For this special backyard barbeque, we were able to invite many of his family to celebrate! Afterwards James said that he was grateful for the opportunity to give back to his new community and bring people together just like he use to do, but he was most grateful for being able to share new memories with his family.
