James E. Ailor

James Elmer Ailor passed away May 26th 2013 at Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care. He was 75 years old. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at the Ralph O. Jones Funeral Home, 306 S. Second St., Odessa, MO 64076, 816-633-5524, with Reverend Terry Hodges officiating. Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at the Ralph O. Jones Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Mt. Tabor Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Childrens Center for the Visually Impaired. Condolences for the family may be left at www.ralphojones.com. Jim was born on July 26, 1937 in Kansas City, KS at the Bell Memorial Hospital to Elmer Franklin and Eva Fern (Drake) Ailor. Jims mother traveled from Wilmington, Illinois to Missouri to be near her family when she gave birth to Jim. After he was born, they traveled back to Wilmington where the family resided, but eventually returned to Odessa where he graduated from the Odessa High School in 1956. On August 24th of 1956, he married Carmin Letha Jennings of Holden, MO, who he met at the skating rink, and had three children: Carla, Vickie, and Ronnie. Jim was a member of the military Reserves and worked many different places over several decades. He started off at Day Baker Chevrolet cleaning offices and washing windows and school buses. He was a salesman at Mattingly 5 and 10 cent store where he worked the counter and stocked the store. At the time he met Carmin, Jim was working at DS Gas Station in Odessa. From there he went on to work at Black Silver Bryson (steel company), United Telephone Company, City of Odessa Water, Lights, and Sewer Department, and finally retired from General Motors after 27 years out of Jainesville, Wisconsin Truck and Bus on December 31st of 1990. Jim continued working on the farm for the rest of his retirement, chatting with the neighbors, and hanging out with his daughter, Carla and granddaughter, Christine. Jim is survived by his wife, Carmin Letha (Jennings) Ailor of Holden, MO, daughter, Carla Rae (Ailor) Corkran of Lees Summit, MO, and granddaughter, Christine Rae Corkran. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer Franklin and Eva Fern (Drake) Ailor, brother, Donald Wayne Ailor, sister Barbara Fern (Ailor) Redinger, daughter, Vickie Sue Ailor, and son, Ronald Wayne Ailor.