James Edward Vautier
(1933-2024)
| A man got to
have a code
Omar - The Wire |
Dominic
Vautier
12/24
Jimmy was my oldest brother,
always a source of inspiration and mystique while I was growing up. He
worked up in Bellingham and only occasionally got a chance to visit us
kids down in Everett.
The occasion was one of joy and excitement
because he always managed to do something special, like build us a
go-cart or a small boat or something neat that we could play on.
My brother was mysterious in other ways because he did not
have the benefit of a stable childhood as I did. Nonetheless his
mind was always very active and he viewed the world as few of us can today.
I always considered him as a
source of inspiration and hope.
Never have I ever seen such energy and
courageous zeal for life.
As a young boy growing up in a mysterious
world, he was my god.
Here he is in 1954 standing next to his big Lincoln.
some more pictures of jim on the farm around 1942
James with his friend Anna May in 2010
Jim was born Johann Rauch
and his adopted name was James Edward Vautier.
He was born to Gustav and Elaine “Patsy”
(O’Rouark) Rauch on November 25, 1933
in Bellingham, WA. Gus and Elaine met at Sophies home at 1819
F St. The O’Rourark’s lived at 1714 G St. Jim's birth name was
spelled a couple different ways. On his original birth record it was
Caroll and on the adoption record it was Karl. His mother
Elaine
suffered from post-partum depression after the birth and Carl was
adopted from Gustav and Elaine to Elaine’s sister
Allegra Catherine O’Rouark. Allegra was a school teacher at the time. She also adopted
another child at the same time from Wenatchee. These adoption events
were completed on
February 24, 1936 when Carl was 2 years and 3 months of age. Carl’s
name was changed to James Edward O’Rouark at that time.
Carl was baptized
in the Catholic Church on March 2, 1936. For two years he lived with
Allegra at 727 Garden St. in Bellingham. Allegra married
George
Jessup Vautier in 1937. At that time James’ name was changed again
to James Edward Vautier. The adoptive father George was born Aug.
17, 1893 in Bellingham and died May 17, 1985 in Portland, Oregon.
Allegra was born in Couer d’Alene, Idaho. She passed away Feb. 15,
1971 at the age of 66. After Allegra and George married they bought
a 40 acre firm east of Everson on the Mack Rd. and later bought a 80
acre ranch on the Goodwin Rd.
James had only 1
year of education at the Hopewell Grade School. Hard times came on
in the early 40's and James was forced to stay home to help with the
farm work. At the age of 14 James went to work on a chicken ranch in
Blane, WA. for the Evans family. After about a year he moved to
Everett, WA. where he became a kitchen helper in Providence hospital
there. In 1951 he left Washington for California. He then started
working on a sea going hopper dredge for the Army Corp. of Engineers
as a kitchen hand. Jim worked his way up to being a
crane operator on several hopper dredge ships. Jim worked on various
dredges from the Texas coast, Panama Canal, California, Oregon, and
Washington harbors. In 1966 he married Geneva Ellen Shores in Reno,
NV. They were married until 1976 when they divorced. They had no
children together. Elaine passed away July 4, 1977 at a nursing home
in Bellingham.
After 31 years with the Army Corp. James retired
from that job in June 1982. He then became a house painter in the
Los Angeles area for about 10 years and then retired completely and
moved to Vallejo, CA.
His wish was that his ashes be scattered in the
bay near Vallejo.