James Walton (J.W.) Davis, Jr. was born in Round Mountain, Texas January 22, 1926 to Emma Birck Davis and James Walton (“Buck”) Davis, Sr., the 3rd of four children. He passed away during the morning of May 31, 2016 at age of 90 from health complications.
When he was 3 years old, his family moved to a newly established homestead west of Eldorado, Texas.
He grew up on that homestead attending grade schools in the Reynolds & Kaffer communities: Both were one-room, one-teacher rural country schools in Schleicher County. For the 8th grade, he transferred to the new school in Eldorado. He played football and remained in Eldorado High School until his senior year when he moved to Austin, Texas where he graduated from Austin High School. At Austin High School, he was instrumental in the school establishing a class to teach home economic skills to boys.
By the time J.W. graduated from high school, WWII was in full swing and at age of 18, he enlisted in the United States Army with the Travis County Draft Board. After 6 weeks of intensive training in Fort Hood, Texas, he was shipped overseas to join action on the front along the French/Belgium border. He was on the battle front only 2 days when he was seriously wounded by a German mortar shell. He was hospitalized for the next 3 years in France, London and USA. Miraculously, his life was spared because of a bale of hay he was carrying for bedding in his fox hole. Medics saved his arm and hand but pieces of shrapnel remained throughout his body. He was awarded the Purple Heart.
After the War, he attended the University of Texas in Austin, earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering. J. W. was an outstanding man of many talents, interests and skills. He was an avid outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman, gardener, wood craftsman, clever artist, handyman and jack of many trades. He was a gentle, loyal and kind man who dearly loved his family, country and friends and seldom met a stranger. He was very active in the Austin Civic Community, Rotary Club and Masons where he made many friends. Throughout life, he retained great love for his boyhood home in Schleicher County and made many trips there in his travel trailer just to visit life-long friends and neighbors and to roam around his childhood territory. His mother often accompanied him on these trips until her passing in 1995. He also instilled his love for outdoors and the family farm in his nephews who often had the pleasure of being with him on these trips. He was very fond of his Eldorado friends. He will be greatly missed.
J.W. married Nina Jo House, a teacher and nurse, in 1953 in Denton, Texas. They settled in Austin, Texas and had 2 children, Ryon Kent and Teresia Jo. For years until retirement he owned a block of buildings on Brazos Street in downtown Austin where he owned and operated the successful Multiprint Printing Company.
J.W. was preceded in death by his parents, Emma and Buck Davis, his son Kent, older sister, Mae Davis Cowan, niece Roberta Cowan and nephews Will Cowan, Jr. and Tom Budd.
J.W. is survived by his wife Nina of Austin; daughter Teresia of Austin; two siblings Jewell Davis Goolsby (Robert) of Austin and Fae Davis Conner (Jim) of Lockhart, nephews James “Tex” Schwobel, Charles Schwobel, Bruce Schwobel, all of Austin, Christopher Conner (Michelle) of Jonestown, Bryan Conner of Corpus Christi, Walter Cowan and niece Penny Cowan Rand (Tracy) of Nevada and 10 great-nieces and nephews.
Graveside services were held at 2:00 pm Saturday June 4, 2016 at Memorial Park Cemetery, Austin, Texas.
