Early Years | Mysite

James Franklin Arnold was born to William Hale Arnold and Irene Barbieri in Bangor, Michigan on June 24th, 1933.

Jim spent most of his younger years on his parents farm in Western Michigan and fondly remember his summers visiting with his grandparents on their farm not far away with his sister Sue.

"My Nonna would make the most fabulous Italian dinners every night, her homemade gnocchi was my favorite" was a constant topic of discussion with him as he recalled his youth.

The Arnold's heritage is one that was deeply researched by Jim's sister Sue for over 30 years with many trips to England to gather information to support her findings. Jim is a descendant of John Alden and Priscella Mullens of the Mayflower. John and Priscella were Jim's 9th great-grandparents and as history goes came from England on the Mayflower and helped settle the Northeast. Sometime in the early 1800's the family were offered acreage in Western Michigan by the government at the time in return for settling the area and building a town, roads, schools etc. Hence his 3rd great-grandmother Louisa Hale and her husband Julius Reynolds set out in a covered wagon for Michigan. Jim's 2nd great-grandmother Alice Timms was a graduate of Hillsdale College and a pioneer teacher of Hillsdale in her early life. This was very, very unusual for a woman of that era to go to college and graduate. Jim's ancestors helped build the Hillsdale College in the mid 1800's.

Jim was like any other child in the 1930's, enjoying life in rural Michigan. When he was 7 years old on the playground another child fell off the playground equipment and right on to Jim's head, fracturing his neck. He spent the next 6 months in a cast from his head to his waist. He stated that was the most miserable summer he ever had in memory.