Down the barn lane from Big House, a grassy spot by a rusty woven wire fence near corner of our old machine shed. My father, James Ogden Heishman and I were discussing, admiring, teasing a small bright haired boy, my son, James Ogden Heishman, who stood against the fence near us. He was two or three years old, pouting a little.
Normally we called him Jamey. Today it was “Mr. Jackson”. I have a bad habit of tacking my own nicknames to young animals and people. I referred to Jamey with several sobriquets over those early years and I’m not sure where Mr. Jackson came from. I suppose I was trying to be just as cute as he was at that age.
“I want my word.” word?” “What word?” “I want a shirt with my word on it.” “What word, Jamey?” “My word.” “My name.” Ah ha. Pouting because he wanted us to use his given name, not some cutesy made up thing and he wanted a shirt with his name to remind us. James got his shirt with his name in red letters and Pap died about a year later, leaving his grandson sole owner of James Ogden Heishman.
James grew through Moorefield public schools where he made decent grades and played some tough basketball. At six feet two inches, with speed, he kept some of the area’s better players defensively checked and scored a few points besides.
Kentucky was his undergraduate university home. I haven’t talked to him yet today since Wisconsin beat Kentucky in N.C.A.A tournament Final Four game last night. He might be pouting again.
He graduated from West Virginia University College of Law in 2006. Oh dear Lord, I wish his Grandfather had been present that day to hear his name read and see his diploma presentation. A professional, Pap set great store by professional status. He was a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, wanted me to also attain such status, but I never had the gumption.
Home from school, James passed the Bar Exam and became “official.” Worked a while for himself, then applied for and was accepted as Hardy County Assistant Prosecutor under Lucas See in 2008. In 2013, James left the Prosecutor’s office and went to work for Moorefield’s Walters & Krauskopf Law Firm, Jack H. and his son, Nathan Walters, Partners.
One of Hardy County’s older law firms, it’s been through several iterations with various combinations of partners in the past forty odd years. From the original See and Walters, with Clyde See and Jack, through See, Walters & Krauskopf with an addition of Howard in 1985, and Walters, Krauskopf & Baker when Jessica Mathias Baker joined the firm for several years, then back to Walters & Krauskopf with Jack and Nathan, Partners until end of 2014.
January first, 2015, another name change to Walters & Heishman, with elevation of James Ogden Heishman to full partner status. Most days, when he’s not rambling through various area courthouses for various legal purposes, you can find him at Walters & Heishman offices, corner of Washington and Elm Streets across Elm Street from Hardy County CourtHouse. He occupies an office, formerly Howard Krauskopf’s home away from home.
Howard’s been out of commission several years due to paralysis from a swimming accident. Unable to travel and perform his old legal duties, his office has been empty. I think James’ acquisition of that office is fortuitous.
Both men are tall, capable of being imposing, graduates of broadcast journalism with persuasive deep announcer voices and good grins. Howard encouraged James to go to law school and I hope he doesn’t mind James moving into his old digs.
I saw Jack on the street the other day and asked him how my boy was doing. “Fine” he said. I noted that as long as Jamey was “holding his end of the stick” he should work out. “Never any worry about that,” said Jack.
I’m awfully proud of that Walters and Heishman sign on their office wall. James’ Grandfather would be too.
