“Zee” Mimms was born on July 21, 1845, in Logan, Kentucky, to Pastor John W. Mimms and Mary James Mimms. Zerelda was one of twelve children. Her mother was the sister of Robert James, Jesse James‘ father, making them first cousins. Zee, as she was more familiarly called, was actually named for Jesse’s mother. This; however, did not stop the pair from falling in love while Jesse was living temporarily with his aunt his aunt and uncle Missouri in 1865.

The couple was engaged for nine years while the James-Younger Gang was in full swing. Finally, they married at her sister’s home in Kearney, Missouri on April 24, 1874. While honeymooning with his bride Zee on the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston, Texas, a reporter from the St. Louis Dispatch, did what the Pinkertons had failed to do, track down Jesse.

Months later, Jesse Edwards James Jr. Died on March 26, 1951 at the age of seventy-five. In the same image also is pictured Jesse Jr.’s caregiver at Norwalk. He is Luther Garlin Henderson. The contribution of this historic photographic was made by Henderson’s son, Bruce Henderson, a retired attorney. Jesse Jane starred in the most successful adult film in history. She starred in Pirates and Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge. Jesse Jane is considered among all-time greatest pornstars in the world. Jesse Jane was born as Cindy Taylor. She was born on July 16, 1980. Jesse Jane grew up in Military Bases all over the United States.

A little more than a year later, Zee bore their first child, Jesse Edward “Tim” James on August 31, 1875. On February 28, 1878, the couple had twins, Gould and Montgomery; however, both were either stillborn or died the same day. The next year, Zee had a daughter that the couple named Mary Susan James on June 17, 1879.

By this time, the James-Younger Gang had ceased to exist with the capture of the Younger brothers during the Northfield, Minnesota raid in 1876. However, Jesse had started a “new” James Gang that continued to rob trains, the last of which occurred on September 7, 1881, near Glendale, Missouri. Shortly after this hold-up, Jesse moved his family to St. Joseph, Missouri where they settled in under Jesse’s assumed name of Tom Howard. With a $10,000 reward over his head, Zee tried to get Jesse to take on a more normal life. And Jesse agreed, right after one last great bank robbery in Platte County, Missouri. It was during the planning of this robbery in a meeting with Charles and Robert “Bob” Ford at Jesse’s home, that Jesse would be killed by Bob on April 3, 1882.

Jesse James

Sadly, Zee and her children were in the kitchen when the shooting occurred. At the deafening sound of the gun blast, young Jesse, Jr. ran into the living room to find his father on the floor with blood pouring from his head. Zee then began to scream as little Mary started crying. Though Zee tried desperately to stop the blood, it was too late, her husband was already dead.

Bob Ford was already out the door and Charles spent a few moments trying to tell her how the gun had gone off accidentally. Then, he too, made a quick exit, running after his brother.

Jesse James Life Story Books

In no time, the word spread of the shooting and crowds began to gather around the home talking incessantly about the killing of the notorious outlaw, Jesse James. Young Jesse, Jr., who was only six at the time, didn’t even know who “Jesse James” was, believing his father’s name was “John Davis Howard” and his own name to be “Tim Howard.”

After his death, Jesse was packed on ice and taken by train to Kearney, Missouri where he was displayed and viewed by hundreds of friends, admirers, and curiosity seekers. Later he was buried on the family farm in a plot near the house so that Jesse’s mother, Zerelda, could keep an eye out for trespassers or souvenir hunters.

When Jesse was killed, most people assumed that he had left a wealthy widow, but that was not the case at all. In fact, the only valuables that they owned were a few weapons, a bit of stolen jewelry, and assorted memorabilia. Soon, most everything in the household was put up for auction in order to pay the creditors. Zee and her children were then forced to move in with her brother in Kansas City.

The children were to suffer even more, as Zee suffered from terrible depression after Jesse’s death.

Donning entirely black clothing, she never changed out of it, never remarried, and became a recluse. Young Jesse James, Jr. was forced to go to work at the age of eleven to help support his mother and little sister. Though the family suffered emotionally and financially for the rest of Zee’s life, she refused all offers to publish books or other information regarding Jesse’s life.

She died on November 13, 1900, in Kansas City, Missouri and was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Kearney, Missouri. About 18 months later, her husband would be moved from his resting place on the James Family Farm and placed next to her, where their bodies remain today.

© Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated September, 2017.

“I am not in good circumstances and a little money would greatly assist me.”

– Zee James after the death of her husband, Jesse, was forced to sale some precious family momentoes.

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Zerelda and Robert had son Frank, in 1843. Then Jesse came along. Another son born in 1845, died in infancy. Then Zerelda had a girl they named Susan Lavenia in November 1849.¹

The next year, the children's father traveled West for the Gold Rush. Not to mine, but to preach to miners.¹ His youngest an infant, his sons were very young, and not many years since suffering the grief of losing a child. Yet he left his family, going West to California. Did that event affect young Jesse and Frank?

Jesse James Life Story Summary

Robert wrote letters home, expressing he missed the family.¹ But arriving to California, in two weeks, he contracted a fever and died.² Cholera was a common feverish death in those days. Possibly the reason for his demise.

Jesse James Life Story Cast

Zerelda had young children to raise, plus the farm responsibilities. She met a substantially older, eligible bachelor. She married Benjamin Simms, remained living at her farm. But it only lasted a few months! They parted ways, separating. Soon thereafter Simms died.¹

Jesse James Life Story Movie

The James family story passed along that Simms didn't like Zerelda's children. He was particularly mean to Frank and Jesse, not taking them in as his own. Some say in retaliation for the boys' harassment of Simms.¹