Jim Waterson loved to dance.
He met his wife, Edna, that way. They grew up locally and after graduation groups of friends would travel all around Yolo County on weekends in search of the next dance. Sometimes it was a barn dance, sometimes in a bar. Capay to Winters, it didn’t matter as long as they could dance.
Jim met Edna on one such evening. No one knows for sure which dance now. It doesn’t matter, but their love for dance was life long.
Even after they married, they went to dances. Their son, Jeff, has fond memories of dancing in the house, in the front room and of his big brother babysitting him while their parents when out dancing.
Jim was like that, a family man and a proud American who enjoyed his life and kept dancing. He served in the 84th Infantry, Rail-splitters, under Patton during World War II. He came home knowing he didn’t like war, but flew the flag everyday. He had a wall-mounted flag holder that moved with him from his home to St. John’s assisted living facility and then into nursing care.
He helped his wife as she ran the rummage sale for Methodist Church year after year. He enjoyed gardening and working around the house.
“Dad and Mom always told me to make the most out of life,” said Jeff Waterson. “But it was the last sentence that always got me, ‘because once you’re born you start to die’. What they really wanted was for their children to live life well like they did.”
Jim died in January of 2006. He is survived by his wife, Edna, three sons, three daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great grand children.
