Husband of Margie Johnson Parker and Marie Taylor

Jacob Pythias Baccus
•Sex: M
•Birth: 8 SEP 1908 in Hillerman, Massac, Illinois
•Death: 26 SEP 1974 in Metropolis, Massac, Illinois
•Christening: 2 FEB 1936 Methodist Episcopal Church, Joppa, Illinois
•Burial: 28 SEP 1974 Memorial Gardens, Metropolis, Massac, Illinois

•Note:
Birth cert., Marriage Cert., Death Cert. #120, Social Security Records-LSD Church.

Jacob was blinded in right eye when he was 7 yrs. old, due to a child throwing dirt clods which hit him in his eye on way home from school. He completed only 3 grades of school before dropping out to work on farm. He made his first trip to Los Angeles when he was about 20, to work part time in the winter and would return to the farm in the summer. In 1924, on New Years Eve, he married Marie Taylor of Joppa. They lived with the Baccuses on the farm for about 8 months and went to Los Angeles by Model T Ford via Yellowstone Park in September. It was cold there. They worked in a tile factory til March when they returned to the farmhouse of Stella Metcalf, where daughter, Virginia, was born. They bought a small farm near Hillerman with the earnings for the LA job, where he farmed a bit but mostly dragged for mussel shells. He did this for 2 or 3 summers and then went to work for the Civil Service (Army Corps).
He operated the Alma, a supply boat, and later operated the Virginia B, a 35' boat, that he operated with a survey party, run by Mr. Creason. Later he drove a 10 passenger Chris Craft sppedboat for the Jewett Dredge Boat til the early 40's.
During this time, he and Marie built a large grocery store, restaurant, gas station, etc. just after you enter Joppa. They operated this during the depression. In 1929, they moved to 10th St. in Metropolis, where he eventually bought a Texaco station on corner of 10th & Market Sts. He ran this with the help of wife, Marie, and her brother, Wayne, through the war years. Later, after he and Marie were divorced, he married Margie Johnson Parker in 1949. They operated another Texaco station at the corner of 10th and Metropolis til he retired in mid 50's. He retired to play around on the farm that he bought in the mid 40's from Jeff and Stella Baccus.
Jacob (better known as Jake) loved to travel and to drive fast. He did a lot of both. In fast driving, he had several serious auto accidents but attributed his not getting hurt seriously to wearing seat belts. From very early youth he made many trips to Los Angeles to work when he was young and afterwards to visit relatives there. Each year he would drive out, until his late years, but he loved to fly so he made his trips by plane then. One particular trip was a special trip to Chicago to be able to fly on a 747 when they were first introduced. He sat in the lounge talking (which he also loved to do) and watched the people loading...sat right through it and missed the plane. Other times he would arrive with two suitcases when he always traveled with just one. When asked what they contained, he said they contained gold...turned out they were filled with frozen catfish for us. He counted each year and said he had just so many more trips left to him and he was right. He died of heart failure while eating breakfast on Sep. 26, 1974.
Jake was 5' ll-1/2" tall with brown eyes and brown hair.

Above written by his daughter, Virginia Lee Baccus Stone 1991

Father: Jefferson Baccus b: 31 JUL 1872 in Eddyville, Trigg, Kentucky
Mother: Stella Mae Easter b: 10 DEC 1878 in nr. Ohio Chapel, Grand Chain, Pulaski, Illinois

Marriage 1 Marie Taylor b: 1904
•Married: 31 DEC 1924 in Jonesboro, Union, Illinois 1
•Marriage fact: BEF 1949 in Metropolis, Massac, Illinois 1
•Marriage Ending Status: Divorce

Children
1. Vernice Baccus b: UNKNOWN
2. Virginia Lee Baccus b: 16 Apr. 1922 died 27 Sep 1992

Marriage 2 Margie Johnson Parker b: UNKNOWN
•Married: 1949 1

Known as Jake

Married Marie Taylor in Methodist Episcopal Church