J.L. "Jim" Durham 1927 - 2021 James Leslie Durham, was born July 20, 1927, to the late Henry Lee Durham and Ruth Vance Durham. He departed this life on May 28, 2021. His paternal grandparents were Judge James Lucien Durham and his wife, Jenny Lee Woodward Durham. His maternal grandparents were Leslie Milton Vance and his wife, Martha Roseanna McCubbin Vance. Two years after Jim's birth, his sister, Martha was born, and four years later, his brother, Henry was born. Jim attended public school in Greensburg, Kentucky, from 1st-12th grade. After completing high school, he volunteered to serve in WWII. In 1945, he went through Boot Camp near Ithaca, New York. He worked on small boats on Lake Seneca. Afterward, he went to Naval Training at Station University, Oklahoma. Jim received orders to join a division in Japan when the bomb was dropped in August of 1945, ending the war. His orders changed to helping soldiers process out from the Navy so they could return to civilian life. Jim enrolled at the University of Kentucky from 1946-1949, graduating in three and a half years. Starting his second semester, he joined the Sigma Chi Fraternity and played the trombone in the UK Marching band for two seasons. He met Henrietta Curd Hill during the summer of 1949, and they began dating while at UK. In 1950, Jim returned home to Greensburg, Kentucky, to take over from his father in the Hardware Store. He also helped open the Durham Implement Store, which sold International Harvester Equipment. (Rusty Clark managed the store for ten years until being sold.) On June 16, 1951, he married Henrietta. They moved into a home, attended the Greensburg United Methodist Church, played in a bridge group, and became active in the community. Jim continued his membership in the Rotary Club, having joined in 1945. (He was recognized in 2019 as one of the longest serving Rotarians in Kentucky.) In 1954, their first child, Bob, was born, followed by Brenda and Beth. In the early fifties, Jim became a charter member of the Greensburg Industrial Board. He served as one of ten directors from the fifties to the seventies. He was also an early member of the Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he served on the Greensburg Methodist Board of Trustees for several years and was the building fund treasurer during the addition of the annex. Jim started serving on the Greensburg Deposit Bank Board in 1960. He assumed the role of President/Chairman in 1976. During his tenure, he managed the remodeling of the main bank twice; with the last remodel being 1987. He managed the construction of the Greensburg Deposit Branch Bank in 1974 and the construction of the Summersville Branch Bank in 1984. Meanwhile, he continued as owner and manager of Henry Durham and Son Hardware. Jim coordinated the sale of the Deposit Bank in 1989. He sold the Hardware store on September 25, 1991, after 42 years as owner and manager. During the years 1990 until 2010, Jim served as a Financial Consultant for the Forcht Bank. For several years, Jim served as a member of Greensburg's Renaissance Committee. In this volunteer capacity, he served with other citizens to obtain matching grant money to improve the square. An outcome of this community effort was more green space and benches. Besides his parents, Jim was also preceded in death by a sister, Martha Durham‭ ‬Schoening. Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 69 years, Henrietta Hill Durham, and their children: Robert Hill Durham (Eva), Brenda Lee Bushey (Martin), and Elizabeth Ruth Horde (Rocky). His six grandsons include Gaither Wilson Horde IV, M.D. "Hunter", James Arber Durham DPT, Rory Durham Horde, James Edmund Bushey "JEB", Robbie Alban Durham, and Jared Tucker Horde. Other family includes his brother Henry Coleman Durham (Jo Carol) and their children Martha Schweitz (Eric) and Thomas Durham (Cathi). Great nieces are Carolyn, Elizabeth, and Diana Schweitz. Great nephews are William and Nathaniel Durham. Additional family members are his sister-in-law, Mayme Brent Emrick, her sons, Chuck and Jim Emrick, and great-niece Bailey Emrick.‬‬‬‬ ……………………………………. Due to Covid-19, a private graveside service was held at the Greensburg Cemetery for the family. A community memorial service will be held at 10:30 A.M., Central Time, Saturday, July 10, 2021 at the Greensburg United Methodist Church. The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to the Greensburg United Methodist Church. These can be made at the funeral home or at the church. The family wishes to thank Wayne Edwards, Joe Shuffett, Willie Milby, Nancy Stearman, and Otha Ray Stearman for their support over the years. We are grateful to our friends at the Greensburg United Methodist Church, the Forcht Bank family, the Rotary Club, Caregiver Barbara York, and the people of Greensburg. Thank you for sharing Christian kindness and friendship with Jim Durham and his family thru the years. Cowherd and Parrott Funeral Home, Greensburg is in charge of the arrangements. For online condolences log onto: www.cowherdandparrott.com or Facebook.