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Note: James C. W. Rankin's World War I Draft Registration, dated 12 September 1918, lists him as a self employed Chauffeur. He is single
and resides at 312 Centennial Avenue in Cranford, NJ. He is described
as being tall, of medium build and with brown hair and gray eyes.
James Rankin was born and lived on Centennial Avenue in Cranford, NJ from 1897 until 1959. When he was about seventeen years old he began a
trucking business. The 1915 NJ Census lists he and his brother David
as Coal Dealers. During World War I, he hauled military airplanes from
a factory in New Jersey to a training facility on Long Island. In the
nineteen twenties and thirties he was primarily engaged in hauling and
selling sand, gravel, brick and other building materials. He worked as
a Lathe Operator in a factory producing Anti-Aircraft Guns during
World War II. He worked as a Truck Driver for a Building Supply
Company during 1945. After an extended period of disability, the
result of internal hemorrhaging probably caused by an aortic aneurysm,
he returned to work as a Crane Operator at a Stone Quarry until his
retirement in 1958.
In early 1959, he sold the home where he had lived his entire life and moved to Toms River, NJ. Following the death of his wife, Edith,
that same year, he lived alone there until his death. He died in 1966,
following surgery to remove a brain tumor.
The following obituary appeared in the May 20, 1966 edition of the Newark News newspaper:
[UL:JAMES RANKIN JR.:UL] TOMS RIVER - James Rankin Jr. of 1062 Bay Ave. died Wednesday in Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch. He was 68.
Born in Cranford, Mr. Rankin moved here seven years ago. He worked as a crane operator in the Summit Stone Quarry for 10 years until his
retirement in 1958.
He leaves two sons, Milton J. of Rome, N.Y., and John R. of Fanwood; a stepson, Robert E. Marshall of Forked River; a brother, David of
Cranford; two sisters, Mrs. Edith Ward of Cranford and Mrs. Florence
Porter in Florida, and 11 grandchildren.
Services will be tomorrow at 10 a.m. in Gray's Funeral Home, 318 E. Broad St., Westfield.
[UL:FAMILY RESIDENCES:UL] [BO:OCT 1930-APR 1959:BO] Cranford, Union Co., NJ (340 Centennial
Avenue)
[BO:APR 1959-MAY 1966:BO] Toms River, Ocean Co., NJ (1062 Bay Avenue)
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