George Arthur James was born on February 4, 1936, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Jack Henshall James and Elsa Nitzsche James. He died Wednesday, January 19, 2005, the result of a fatal car accident.

George, founder and owner of Lucerne Farms in Fort Fairfield, Maine, was a longtime, dear friend of Seminole Feed and many horsemen and women throughout the country.

“ George and Seminole Feed had a very special relationship that began with our first meeting over 10 years ago,” said Jimmie Glisson, Seminole Feed Vice President of Sales. “George was a Seminole vendor-partner, product innovator and personal friend. By sheer will, George and his family built the first dehydrated bagged forage plant in the United States. George and Seminole worked together to develop the Spillers/Seminole Showing Chaff and Spillers/Seminole Happy Hoof products. While the plant could have been located in many different locations, for George it had to be in his beloved Northern Maine. George was never happier than when he was fishing for Brook Trout in the North Maine woods. He will be greatly missed by the entire Seminole family. George’s wife, Suzie, and son Richard will continue to operate the business, and we wish them continued success.”

George was a graduate of Germantown Friends School in Philadephia and Wesleyan University in Middleton, Connecticut. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a company commander, receiving an honorable discharge at the rank of captain.
His list of honors and awards is extensive. From serving as assistant manager of the city of Ocala, Florida, to becoming town manager of Stanton, North Carolina, Dr. James was a visionary who was always interested in improving the community for its residents.

Dr. James served as associate director of the Department of Local Affairs and Development for the state of Wisconsin. He was director of the Public Administration program at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, in addition to serving is various ways at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Dr. James was named a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International. His accomplishments could fill volumes of books.

He was the owner and founder of Lucerne Farms in Fort Fairfield, Maine. Lucerne Farms, a producer of bagged forage products, such as Spillers/Seminole Happy Hoof, Spillers/Seminole Showing Chaff, Totally Timothy, Alfa Supreme, Hi Fiber, Timothy Plus Alfalfa, and others.

But George James would be most proud of his family. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Susie James; three children: Mary Elsa Theobald and her husband, Skip Theobald, of Sandy Point, Maine; Jill Brekke and her husband, Gregg Brekke, of Springboro, Ohio; and his son and best friend, Richard James of Presque Isle. He is survived by one grandson, Jack Andrus James of Toronto, Ontario.
George was a member of the Presque Isle Congregational Church.

In lieu of flowers, his family requests that memorial donations be made to a scholarship fund in his honor for Fort Fairfield students. Donations should be directed to The George James Memorial Scholarship Fund, Lucerne Farms, P.O. Box 510, Fort Fairfield, Maine, 04742.