Wesson volunteer focused on teenage haunt

Special to Wesson News

When Jeana James was a teenager back in the 1980s, she hung out with friends at Lake Lincoln, enjoying swimming, boating, water skiing and tanning on the beach

Forty years later, you can still find her at Lake Lincoln in her spare time when she isn’t working.  Now, as a volunteer, she seeks to keep the recreation area in and around the lake – what has become a state park – the same beautiful place where other people of all ages can play and relax as she did.  Whether its tending flower beds and gardens, cutting grass, trimming trees, clearing the grounds of branches or picking up trash she helps as she can.  Recently, she has begun serving as president of Friends of the Park, a group of persons want to serve similarly.

James was born in Dr. Steven Liverman’s office in Wesson and grew up mostly in the Stronghope area as one of four children of a single parent mom.  After an interval in Louisiana, she returned with her family to the area and started the sixth grade at Wesson Attendance Center.  A teenage bride in 1987, she didn’t graduate from high school at WAC, but received a Graduate Equivalency Diploma (GED) in a study program at Co-Lin in 1989.

After studying business briefly at Co-Lin, James went on to earn a degree in cosmetology Southwest Community College in 2009.

Since college, she has had a varied career, working as a cosmetologist for four years and then for Alpha Insurance for another 10 years before starting two businesses of her own. 

Today, James cleans homes for nine clients on a regular basis and maintains an online store – 3 Generations Creations, where almost 600 members shop for her customized arts and crafts, including sewn items, such as t-shirts; woodwork, such as picture frames, door hangers and crosses; paintings, flower arrangements and décor.  The store evolved from participation as a vendor at Wesson Flea market.

When her sister Cindy joined Lake Lincoln State Park as the manager, James came back to her teenage haunt as a volunteer.

She lives in Brookhaven, and has a 30-year-old daughter, Ashley Watts, a stay-at-home mom with three children – Kailey, 12, Melanie, 5, and David, 3.

“I don’t live a glamorous life, but I love it,” James summarizes.

What are your hobbies?

There’s Lake Lincoln, of course.  My work, too – particularly 3 Generations Creations – is also my hobby.  In crafts, I am doing more cross stitching. Then, there are my grandchildren.  I spend every weekend with them.

Are you a reader?

I mostly fall asleep reading after busy days, but when I get into books, it’s likely a biography.

How about music?

I am a listener, particularly to country – George Strait and Blake Shelton.  Alabama, now gone, was my favorite group.

If you won a lot of money in the lottery, how would you spend it?

My family, particularly my grandchildren would enjoy the benefits.  And, of course, some of the money would have to go to Lake Lincoln.

How would you change the world?

I’m not sure what I would do, but I know the problem – the hate and divisions in the world.  We need to be peacemakers and strive for unity.