James Athya, another puzzle piece uncovered

Recently, I shared an update to James Athya’s story after discovering a new article through Newspapers.com. Just nine days later, another alert led me to a Jacksonville, Florida newspaper that answered a lingering question: was James’ body returned to Steubenville, Ohio for burial? The article confirmed that it was, noting that Estes‑Krauss Funeral Home made arrangements to do so on March 6, 1942.

James, 22, had been killed in a head on collision near Kingsland, Georgia while riding as a passenger. The report also mentioned that both drivers survived and another passenger was treated for injuries.

James’ story has always intrigued me. A first cousin once removed to my husband, he was born in 1919 in Bellshill, Lanark, Scotland, to Robert Durie Athya and Margaret Shaw, the eldest of three siblings. He lost his mother at the age of six, then emigrated to America in 1930 with his father and siblings, settling first in Pennsylvania and later in Ohio. From newspaper reports and census records, I learned of his adventures train hopping en route to Mardi Gras, which even landed him in jail for 10 days, and of his work at a mission in West Virginia. Within the family, however, it was remembered that James may have died in an auto accident, though relatives were never entirely certain. Family lore also suggested that James may have traveled with a carnival before his untimely death. That possibility remains the last piece of the puzzle to unravel in his story, and I hope someday to learn whether he truly lived that adventure.

Reference

Body of Crash Victim Will Be Sent to Ohio, Jacksonville Journal, Jacksonville, Florida, p. 11, March 6, 1942.