James Farndale

James Farndale

1885-1967

Directory Reference: 607

James Farndale

James was the first member of the family to be born at Tidkinhowe. He was born on 22 December 1885, the sixth child and the fourth son of Martin and Catherine Farndale. As with his siblings, he started school, aged 5, with his brothers and sisters and, at age 11, he went to Boosbeck, but unlike the rest except Kate, he on to Guisborough County School. On leaving school, he worked for a local farmer called Petch for a while, was a miner for a while and helped his father at Tidkinhowe. He was always keen on learning and in his early days he was always studying and reading. He, like his siblings, would listen to all the talk about Canada and he would have seen that there was little hope for him at home.

Accordingly on 31 March 1913, Jim (as he was always called) sailed for Canada, aged 28 and joined his brothers Martin and George and his sister Kate. He spent two years in Canada and kept a diary of his journey out and of his first year.

However, he always wanted to improve his education and there wasn't much chance in those early days in Canada. So he decided to go on to USA. He 1915, he managed to get into Duluth High School from where he got himself a place at Valpraiso University in Indiana. It was on 20 January 1917 at the university that he met Edna Adams whom he married on 25 September 1917. When the USA declared war on Germany in 1917, he joined the American Army and went to France. Very little is known of his military service except that he caught a very bad dose of influenza from which he never did fully recover. However at the end of the war, he did manage to visit Tidkinhowe again.

In 1918, he was posted to San Antonio where he left the army. He and Edna went to live at Plymouth, Indiana, but by then he had developed lung trouble. He began to make a living at carpentry. In 1919, he moved to the west coat to try to get to a better climate and to be near Edna's parents. Jim built them a house at Los Angeles and then he built one for himself. At this time, Jim was working in an architect's office and at the same time, he was attending the University of California in Los Angeles. He did this until 1929 when his health began to give him serious trouble and the doctors said he must live in a really dry climate.

Their first child, Hazel Jane, was born in Los Angeles on  September 1922 and their second, James, on   December 1923. Mary was born in 1926.

The family moved to a ranch in the desert at Las Vegas in 1929. Life became a hard struggle for Jim and he did the best he could as a 'finish carpenter'. In 1930, they moved into Las Vegas and built a house. In 1931, the family drove by car to visit the family in Alberta, Canada, where Jim's youngest brother and sister, Alfred and Grace, had by then joined Martin, George and Kate. It was remembered as quite a reunion.

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In 1932, their fourth child, Gordon, was born. Although still a finish carpenter, Jim had become Business Agent for the Carpenter's Union. It was in this year that he first became involved in the Boulder Dam project. In 1935 their fifth child and second daughter, Doris, was born. Jim was now proving himself to be an efficient administrator through his work with the Carpenter's Union and the Boulder Dam Project. He developed a reputation for reliability and honesty. Accordingly, in 1936, he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly. This now gave him a very full life where at last he could exercise his ability and knowledge, even though he was still troubled by ill health. After a four year period, he was re-elected for a second term, in 1940; a great honour and he was by then a recognised leader of Nevada State. In 1942, he was elected to serve in the Nevada State Senate and was to complete a four year term, until 1946. He did much work on housing projects in the State and never forgot the World War One veterans.

In 1951, he and his daughter, Hazel Jane (always known as Janie) visited Canada again. By this time, his younger brother, Alfred had returned to England. Then in 1954 and for the first time, since the end of the First World War, he visited England. This was a memorable visit which meant so much to him. He went again to Tidkinhowe and to stay with those members of the family who had remained in England. In 1955, he again visited Canada, with his two daughters, Janie and Mary.

But tragedy struck in September 1955 when his daughter, Doris, was killed in a motor accident at the age of twenty. Jim took this very hard indeed and never really recovered from it.

In September 1958, his younger brother, Alfred and his wife, Peggy called to see him at Las Vegas while on a visit to Canada. At this time, Jim was still active with the Carpenter's Union, the Housing Authority and the Veterans. He was at this time a member of the Labour Council.

In 1961, Jim again visited Canada for what was to be the last time. His health by then was deteriorating badly. Jim died at his home, 922 San Casino Centre Boulevard, Las Vegas on 20 January 1967, aged 81. He is buried at Mount View Gardens of Memory, Las Vegas. The funeral was on 23 January and was taken by the Reverend Douglass Harrell of the First Methodist Church at Bunker Brothers Chapel at 1pm.

By his own efforts Jim achieved much. He pioneered in Canada and America, got himself qualified through university, fought for his country and rose through the Nevada State Assembly to the Senate. He was always dogged by his ill health, but his courage and ability kept him going.

His wife, Edna, died at Austin, Texas, where she was in a home near her daughter, Janie, in 1980.

Jim's family were the first of a new generation of Farndales. His son, Jim, had no family, but his son Gordon had a son, Mark.

Extract from the Las Vegas Review Journal 26 January 1967

Southern Nevada loses devoted public servants

This was a sad week for old time southern Nevadans.

Two Men who left rich legacies of public service in widely differing fields were buried. Both were born in England. Both built a home, family and gave almost half a century of service to southern Nevada.

Their loss will be felt.

...

Jim Farndale took care of the people who were poor, needed a job and a place to live they could afford.

A life of service with labor, the poor, veterans and the homeless called to Jim Farndale. During the 1930s when Boulder Dam brought a surge of craftsmen to southern Nevada, Farndale helped hammer out a strong carpenters union. As a business agent, he became a guiding force in the Central Labor Council and Building and Trades Council.

Farndale went to the Nevada Assembly twice and then was elected to the state senate. His name was engraved on the enabling legislation that created the federal housing authorities for Clark County and Las Vegas.

Farndale later became executive director of the Clark County Federal Housing Authority which operated units in the city. These homes for the struggling poor of Henderson will serve as appropriate monuments to his life.

He was a leader of veterans organisations, and above all held a reputation of being dependable and absolutely trustworthy.

Another page has turned and those who guided the middle years in the growth of this community are beginning to leave us.

 Sunday 22 January 1967

James Farndale Rites Scheduled for tomorrow

Funeral for James Farndale is set for tomorrow, 1pm at Bunker Brothers Chapel with the Reverend Douglas Harrell, of the First Methodist Church, officiating.

Farndale, a 38 year resident of Southern Nevada, died Friday in his home at 922 South Casino Center Boulevard. He was 81.

Well known in legislative, labor and veterans circles, Farndale was instrumental in helping to establish many of their standard practices today.

He is survived by his wife, Edna, two sons, James and Gordon, and two daughters, Mrs John Rydell and Mrs Sam Mentzer, all residing out of state; two brothers Alfred and John Farndale, and three sisters, Mrs Dorothy Ross, Mrs Mary Brown and Mrs Grace Holmes all residing in England and Canada.

Farndale was a business agent for Carpenters Local 1780 in Las Vegas during the 1930s and later rose to prominence as a member of the Central Labor Council, the Building Trades Council and the Governor's Board of Labor Relations.

He was elected to the Nevada Assembly in 1936 and again in 1940. Farndale was also a member of the state senate from 1942 to 1946.

In addition to these functions, Farndale was executive director of the Federal Housing Authority here and served on the Clark County Housing Authority as well.

He was a life member, past commander and past department commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, member of the American Legion, Veterans of World War One, Disabled Veterans and the First Methodist Church.

Farndale was born in Yorkshire, England. He will be buried in Mount View Gardens of Memory.
Las Vegas Review Journal Sunday 22 January 1967

Farndale Services Set Monday

Former state senator James Farndale, 81, will be buried Monday in Mount View Gardens of Memory cemetery. Reverend Douglass Harrell of the First Methodist Church will conduct 1pm services in Bunker Brothers Chapel.

Mr Farndale died Friday in his home at 922 S Casino Blvd.

He served two terms in the Nevada Assembly (1936-38 and 1940-42) and one term in the state Senate (1942-1946). He was also once the executive director of the Clark County Housing Authority.

A carpenter from Yorkshire, Farndale represented Carpenters Local 1780 on the Central Labor Council, the governor's Labor Relations Board and the Building and Trades Council.

He was a veteran of World War One.

He is survived by his wife, Edna, two sons, James of Dallas, Texas, and Gordon of Canoga Park, California; two daughters, Mrs John E Rydell of Athens, Texas, and Mrs Sam Mentzer of Glendale, California, two brothers Alfred and John both in England; and three sisters, Mrs Dorothy Ross, Mrs Mary Brown and Mrs Grace Holmes, all in England

 Senate Concurrent Resolution No 9 - Senators Brown, Alleman, Bunker, Christensea, Gibson, Hecht, Herr and Lamb

File Number 23

Senate Concurrent Resolution - Memorialising the late Senator James Farndale

Whereas, The members of the 54th session of legislature of the State of Nevada have learned with deep regret and sorrow of the death of former Senator James Farndale on January 20, 1967, in Las Vegas, Nevada; and

Whereas Senator Farndale, born in Yorkshire, England, migrated to the United States of America to become a most respected resident of Southern Nevada, for 28 years; and

Whereas James Farndale distinguished himself in federal, state and local government service, as executive director of the Federal Housing Authority in Clark County, as assemblyman from Clark County in 1937 and 1941 regular sessions, as senator from Clark County in the 1943 and 1945 regular sessions, as a member of the Governor's Board of Labor Relations, and as a member of the Clark County Housing Authority; and

Whereas, He achieved prominence for his contributions in the development of organised labor in this state while a member of the Central Labor Council and the Buildings Trades Council in Las Vegas, Nevada; and

Whereas as the late Senator James Farndale was loyal and dedicated to his country, he was a life member, past commander and past department commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a member of the American Legion, Veterans of World War One, and Disabled American Veterans; and

Whereas James Farndale was a man of integrity, ability and courage always following the strength of his convictions, whose presence will be deeply missed in our state; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the Assembly concurring, That the members of the 54th session of legislature of the State of Nevada hereby express their condolences  to the family and surviving relatives of the late Senator James Farndale; and be it further

Resolved, that copies of this resolution be prepared and transmitted forthwith by the legislative counsel to the widow and surviving children of the deceased, Mrs Edna Farndale, Mrs John Rydell, Mrs Sam Mentzer, Mr Gordon Farndale and Mr James Farndale.

1967

 
                                       Nevada Southern University

                                       Las Vegas

                                      1 February 1967

Library

Dear Mrs Farndale

The library at Nevada Southern University has received funds for the purchase of a Volume in memory of your husband.

We have added a volume in the Far West and Rockies Series to our Western America collection. This volume bears a special memorial plate for Mr Farndale.

Our Western Collection is heavily used by our students faculty. We at Nevada Southern University feel truly honoured in being selected as part of the memorial to Mr Farndale.

Mrs James Farndale

92250 Casino Center Blvd

Las Vegas

Nevada

                                         Alan Bikle

                                        United States Senate

                                        Washington

Dear Mrs Farndale

Mrs Bikle and I were saddened to learbn of the recent death of your husband.

While there is little one can say or do to ease your loss at this time, we do want you to know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

As you know, Jim was a dear, loyal and devoted friend of ours

Sincerely

Alan Bikle
                                            United States Senate

                                             Washington

Dear Mrs Farndale

Please accept heartfelt condolences on the death of your husband.

He was indeed a man of his times who participated in the problems of his day, and committed himself to a set of principles and a course of action. He left a record of significant accomplishments and long lasting influences on the institutions and programmes with which he was associated.

I do hope that the sorrow over your loss will be eased by his good and rich life.

Mrs Cannon joins me in the expression of sincere sympathy to you and your family.

Howard Cannon