Ida Mae James

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Obituary – Ida Mae James

Ida Mae James, died peacefully on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at Novant Health.  She was 89 years old.

She was born on January 1, 1934 in Belton, SC, to Erskine Pruitt and Elizabeth Black Pruitt, and was married to the late Willie James, Jr., for 59 years.

Ida attended Second Ward High School and was a star player on the Girls basketball team.  After graduation, she attended business school.

Ida worked for Myers Park Beauty Salon and Providence Drug Store.  From there she became a Cafeteria Manager at Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools for over 20 years working at various schools.  Many of the neighborhood children remember her giving them ‘the thumb’ to go on through the line. She took care of it; no one went hungry under her watch. She retired from the school system in 1996.

Ida was a faithful member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church for over 50 years where she served on the Adult Usher Board.  In her latter years, her attendance declined due to taking on the role of caregiver for her beloved mother and husband who have both gone home to be with the Lord.

Ida was a member of the White Bouquet Social Club. She was an avid Carolina Tarheels and Golden State Warriors basketball fan.  You could hear her loudly cheering for her favorite teams, so much so, you would think she was sitting courtside.  Ida was an excellent baker and loved making her famous pound cakes, fruit cakes and sweet potato pies. And let’s not talk about her dressing and sweet tea.  Ida also loved spending time with her family and children.  She made sure to get in a lot of quality time with her grandchildren, and most recently enjoyed spoiling her great-granddaughter.  Her favorite color was red, and shopping was a passion.  Ida looked forward to her Thursday shopping days with her daughter, Jackie.  When Ida wasn’t shopping, she was attending Senior Mornings Out with her daughter-in-law, Natasha.  She kept tabs on her daughter, Regina, by calling her during her workday to simply ask, “what are you doing”? Frequent breakfast outings were a treat with her son-in law, Frank.  Her son-in-law, Ronnie, aka her “private chef”, provided lots of good eats for her.  She looked forward to getting head sugar from her son, Rick.  Every Sunday, she talked with her children in Texas, Charles and Bettie.

She leaves to cherish her memories her sons, Charles E. Agnew (Bettie); Richard T. James (Natasha); her daughters, Jacqueline D. Gibson (Ronald Sr.); and M. Regina Hayes (Frank). Her grandchildren, Gerald Parker; Sharon Carter (Orin); Charles Agnew Jr.; (Lakita); Rhonda Huthmacher (Daniel); Ronald Gibson, Jr.; Richard C. James; Terrale D. Mobley; and Jalisa S. Smith; and great-grandchildren, Charles D. Agnew, Shavonna Agnew, Erskine G. Agnew, Shamayia Agnew, and Kaprina Agnew, Luke Huthmacher, and Amina Dennis-James.  Her brother, Wallace Pruitt, and sister, Princola McGowan.  Also, a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.

Preceding her in death were her brothers, Johnny Eugene Pruitt and James Shaw, and her sister, Margaret Jenkins.

Acknowledgements:

The family of Ida James would like to thank you for the many expressions of love, kindness and sympathy shown through cards, calls, prayers, visits and words of encouragement during this time.  We would like to especially thank the doctors and nurses of Novant Health; very special friends:  Patricia Caldwell, Jackie Nicholson, Mike and Debbie Reid, Lisa Moore, and Darryl Ross.