Zerelda Mimms

Zerelda Amanda Mimms James (July 21, 1845 – November 13, 1900) was the first cousin and wife of Jesse James.

Personal life

Zerelda Amanda Mimms was the daughter of Mary James and Pastor John Wilson Mimms. Her mother was a paternal aunt of Jesse James', the sister of his father, Robert S. James.

She and Jesse James married on April 24, 1874, while the James-Younger Gang was still in full force. Of the Jameses and Youngers, Jesse was the first to marry. Zerelda and Jesse had two surviving children:

Death

Mimms died November 13, 1900 in Kansas City, Missouri. She was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Kearney, Missouri. Eighteen months after her death, her husband's body was moved from the James family farm to rest next to hers.

Portrayal in films