Bro-Kin Branch

Our family knew very little about my father's past, only that his father, Elijah, was a kind old man. Our father refused to discuss it and took whatever there was to tell, to the grave with him. There were rumors amongst my oldest brothers and sisters that our grandpa Elijah, did time in a Texas Penitentiary for who knows what? What could he have possibly done to deserve a prison sentence? If so, could this have alienated him from his family? After many years, a kindled desire to seek my ancestry, lead to an astonishing discovery. I found out that my great, grandfather was the first mayor of El Paso, Texas. As a young man, he was in the Mexican-American War, was captured and spent eight months in a Mexican prison. My amazing ancestry left me honored to be a Dowell. Why did my father fail to share it with me and what other secrets did he keep hidden?

A desire at a young age to write and understand human behavior, brought James to seek a major in Behavorial Science and a minor in English Literature. He began his professional career in 1962 with T.R.W. Systems, an aerospace corporation. This involved processing data on various missile firings at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and preparing reports for engineers. His tenure of eight years ended with the landing of astronauts on the moon in 1969. His layoff due to government cutbacks, resulted in his seeking and obtaining employment with the California Department of Corrections in 1972. His assignment to death row, where the notorious Charlie Manson followers were housed, as well as an assignment to the phychiatric ward, gave him the opportunity to utilize his writing skills. This included incident and disciplinary reports, as well as directives, policies and procedures. Upon retiring after twenty five years of service, he had reached the level of Supervising Counselor. James is currently employed at a private institution for mentally challenged minors. His continued desire to express himself through his literary talents, has resulted in many short stories and this, his second book. He truly feels that his desire and ease of expression is a gift from above, that he deeply appreciates.