History of James "Jimmy" Aaron Smith

Born the 2nd of June 1976 in a small city called Lawton, OK, my brother, James Aaron Smith, came into my life.  He has been trouble to me ever since - you know, the trouble you NEVER want to be without.  I love my brother dearly.  His life has been a dramatic one and in many cases an emotional one.  Early in life, and I mean since birth, he has had a few medical issues that threatened his life more than once.  And for those who know him now, you might say those issues were mental, but they are not.  Those issues are just the "Smith" in him.  He had no choice in the matter either way. The son of Carey T. Smith and Karen L. Marsh (and brother of Jerry A. Smith), Jimmy as we call him has always had to fight. Before he was even one year old he was a fighter having been subject to at least three life threatening surguries.  God put the skill in the doctors and the will to survive in my brother and I have my brother today.  Dad has told us stories that as a baby, Jimmy would just simply forget to breathe and dad would stay up all night just to "thump" Jimmy to wake him up and remember to breathe.  Needless to say, Jimmy probably thought his second home was a hospital.  Hhmmm, that may be food for thought later on.   After Jimmy came along and he was stable, we moved to Clinton, OK.  As dad had just surrendered to preach just before Jimmy was born, this was the begining of many moves in the world of a pastor.  We remained in Clinton for about a year or so before we moved again to a place called Watson, OK for dad to pastor a church called Sulpher Springs Baptist Church. Watson is one of the best kept secrets in the whole country; the land is beautiful and the people are very nice.  Again, a year or so later we moved to Canton, MS and a few months aftwards again to Union, MS and once more a few months later we moved just down the road to Little Rock, MS to a little community called Greenland.  It was September of 1980.  Jimmy was just over 4 years old and already moved 5 times.  Home to Jimmy and I was nothing in a place but with family. life has been full of dramas since birth it’s a wonder he is still alive.  Being born with a few medical problems (I can’t remember if one of those problems was a mental one or not) and having three surgeries before he was even one year old, he has proven to be fighter.  Dad, Carey T. Smith (b. 18 May 1949) has told us stories that Jimmy would forget to breathe as a baby and he had to stay awake at night to thump Jimmy making him wake up and remember to breathe.  After things were settled down, our parents moved us to Clinton, OK then to Watson, OK where dad was to pastor Sulpher Springs Baptist Church.  After a year and a bit, dad moved us to Canton, MS and then a few months later to Union, MS and then a few months after this about September 1980 to a few miles down the road to Little Rock, Newton Co., MS where we spent the most of our lives.   It was here at Greenland Baptist Church in Little Rock that Jimmy earned his nickname “Tex” from the church members when he showed up for church in a cowboy outfit.  From here he began his image and rebel ways.  Up until around 1983, my brother, due to his medical problems, had not tasted any sugar.  Meaning he never tasted a Coke, chocolate bar, or candy.  If he was close to 6 or7 years of age, I was at the age of 11 or 12, and I remember it clearly when momma, Karen Lea Marsh (b. 23 May 1951) bought him his first candy bar and coke – I was proud for him.   He lived a relatively quiet life up until high school, except when he was being bashed by me for always messing with my stuff.  I believe I still have photo somewhere with him asleep on the toilet still holding his drum sticks and practice pad.  In high school he had already joined the band and was quite good, although annoying at home, at playing the drums; snare, bass, and most other percussion.  His only other real annoyance was his determination to perfect his image.  He wouldn’t wear anything that did not have brand name on it.  His motto was “Image is everything” from the old cannon camera ad with Andre Agassi. Jim graduated high school in 1994.  He obtained a band scholarship to Livingstone University in Alabama.  Here he learned freedom and the ability to party.  He was so good at it, he almost got in trouble.   He then transferred to East Central Community College in Decatur, MS .  He did fairly well here, as long as he went to school.  The party man inside never left him, for he is the only man I know who can drive from MS to NC and return on a weekend ski trip and only spend $20.  It was here though that he discovered his passion for Para-medicine.  During his travels pushing himself working, school, and partying, Jim was driving down the I-20 and fell asleep at the wheel.  The next thing he knew was he was crawling out of his car in woods.  He crawled up to the road and hitched a ride back home.  He later went back out to the crash site (being battered and bruised) and discovered that he had flown off the road and snapped a pine tree in half over at about the 20 ft. mark.  The Lord has been watching out for my brother all his life.  He inquired and was accepted into the University of Mississippi Medical School in Jackson, MS and eventually graduated as a Paramedic.  While in Jackson, he met and married a Ms. Melanie R. Loper (b. 1974) in 1998 who had a three month old son (the father had died a week after his birth in a car accident).  They packed up and moved to Nashville, TN where Jim worked for Sumner Co. EMS.  It was here that Jim bought his first house in White House, TN and made me an Uncle.  From now on, Uncle UJ, Jerry A. Smith (b. 16 Jul 1971) was in love with his nephew Austin Chase Atchison (b. Aug 1997) and Niece Madison Rebecca Smith (b. 18 May 1999).   Jimmy from here transferred to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN to participate in pilot program to institute Paramedics as Emergency Room (Registered) Nurses and had done this for almost 5 years.  In 2002, Jim and Mel divorced.  Madison lives with her mother, but Jim is living near by.  He has moved to Brentwood, TN and is now dating .  Sincerely, Jerry A. Smith – Brother of Jimmy

(May 1994)














Pam Tilson, Jimmy Smith, & Christopher McFarland






Jimmy & Dad





Jimmy holding Makenzie & Austin






Jarrod and his Uncle Jimmy