James Marion Alexander was born in Maysville, Kentucky, on February 28, 1875, one of three children born to Francis Marion and Mary Ann Seamon Alexander. At the age of 17 he came to Kansas; on April 27, 1899, he married Marguerite Florence Ruff (spelled Roof in some records) of Maize, Kansas. In 1901, at age 19, he converted; records show that in 1902 he took an appointment to Beaumont but resigned it immediately after the conference. He is credited in his memoir as having organized the first church at Wilmore, Kansas.  He is mentioned in the 1903 and 1904 conference minutes as performing very creditably in his courses and receiving high grades.  He was assigned to Eatonville, a charge described in the 1904 Conference minutes as “a large and difficult field to travel, consisting of ninety-eight members, four appointments, four organized churches, two church houses, a parsonage, all free from debt.” He was reported to have served “faithfully and well, with good results.” Rev. Alexander was ready for ordination as an Elder in the United Brethren Church when he transferred to the Southwest Kansas Conference, where he was ordained a Deacon in 1906.  He received his ordination as Elder three years later. Rev. Alexander was serving again as pastor at Wilmore when he died after several weeks’ illness on February 2, 1934.  He had served 31 years in the ministry in Burdett, Dighton, Cleveland, Cullison, Goddard, Garfield, Milan, Antrim, Haven, Canton, Sylvia, Arlington, Belle Plaine, Satanta, and Coats, in addition to Wilmore. Rev. Alexander was survived by his wife and his five sons: the Rev. Marion J. (Radium), Clyde W. (Pawnee Rock), Virgil V. (Coldwater), Harold E. (Hutchinson), and LaVere (Wilmore). He was also survived by his sisters, Mrs. Mattie Varney of Hutchinson and Mrs. Fannie Williams of Dayton, Ohio, and four grandchildren. His services were held at the First Methodist church in Hutchinson; officiants were the Rev. Claude Gray, the Rev. E. W. Freeman, the Rev. J. F. Irwin, the Rev. J. Q. Turner, and the Rev. I. D. Harris. Burial was in Memorial Park, Hutchinson. According to her memoir in the Central Kansas Journal (1940, page 143), his wife, Marguerite Ruff Alexander, served several charges after his death, including Wilmore, Hanston, and Iuka.

Note written by Sarah St. John