James Lee Ledgerwood

He was born, July 12th,1938, in Terre-Haute, Indiana at Union Hospital to Harold Dow Ledgerwood Sr. and Mary Susan (Thomson) Ledgerwood.

James Family attended the First Baptist Church of Terre-Haute, Indiana where he was baptized in 1942.

James attended the Otter Creek grade School of Terre-Haute, Indiana. His family moved to Ontario, Oregon in 1948, where his father took a job with the newly formed Bureau of Reclamation as a Ditch Rider.

Jim worked on his grandfather’s farm and delivered newspapers. He was a member of the Boy Scouts and earned the Eagle Scout badge, which he was very proud of.

In the early 50’s James' family moved to Washington State. His father started working for the Bureau of Reclamation for the newly formed Columbia Basin Water Project. They lived in a Bureau house in Westmont Acres above Soap Lake Washington. In 1955 he joined the National Guard as a cook and drove a truck that looked much like the old covered wagons. His unit was Anti-Aircraft-then cannons and Missile defense.

He graduated high school in Ephrata, Washington in May of 1956, He met the love of his life and Married Dora Mae Dreyer on December 30th, in Soap Lake.

He went to work for Boeing in Seattle, on the B-52 Bomber project. In 1958 he worked for Grant County PUD as a groundsman on a line crew. After being laid off from the PUD he went to work driving a school bus for the Ephrata School District while working at Les Johnson sign shop between bus runs. Later that year he worked for The United States Post Office in Ephrata Washington as a mail carrier.

In 1958 James and wife Dora, first daughter Julie arrived, followed by a second Tracy, a son David and in 1962 their last daughter Vicki. Jim once again went to work for the Grant County PUD at Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams concurrently as a Power Plant Operator. Jim was promoted to dispatcher in 1973 in Ephrata Washington. He worked up to Supervisor and then Chief Dispatcher. He retired from Grant County PUD after 30 years of service in 1992. After retiring, Jim and Dora did some traveling with the 5th wheel in tow. They returned to Ephrata in 1993, where Jim again went to work as a temporary Dispatcher for Grant County PUD. In 1994 they moved to Redding, California, Jim went to work for the City of Redding to help establish a new power dispatch office. After 7 years of service for the City of Redding, CA. he retired for a second time.

Jim and Dora returned to Washington state in 2000 where Jim was hired as a Consultant for the Grant County PUD, He began writing Dispatcher Training Programs. He and his wife purchased their retirement home in Ephrata where they lived for 22 years. Jim liked fishing, hunting, camping and working part time for Walmart repairing bicycles and repairing cars with his grandchildren. Health concerns prevented them from continuing to live in their home in Ephrata and in November of 2022, they moved to Prestige Senior Living of East Wenatchee, Washington, then to their daughter’s home in April of 2024 where they remained until his passing.

James is preceded in death by his Parents; brother, Harold; sister, Betty; daughter, Tracy; grand-daughter, Heather; and grandson JL of Utah and cousin Donnie of Loogootee Indiana. He is survived by his wife of 68 years Dora. Children; daughter, Julie "Lyle"; Son, David; daughter Vicki "Peter"; Great Uncle Rodney; Cousins: Jim; Anne; Stephen of Canada; sister-in-law, Patsy. Grand Children: Harley, Brie, Kimberly, Crystal, “Chris", James “Nikki"; Roland. Great Grandchildren, Brayden, Maxwell, William, Rowan and Lilith. many loving nieces and nephews.

*Our dad James Lee Ledgerwood was and always will be the best dad. All the people in his life he loved so much. He was bigger than life and will be missed dearly. We love you dad.