The Bee Man

James Parker Moore, age 91, prominent beekeeper, died August 20, 1951, at his home near Morgan, following an illness of three years. Mr. Moore was a pioneer beekeeper, having started with eighty hives of bees over 72 years ago and built up a queen rearing business of international fame. During his early days he attended Nelson's Building College in Cincinnati. Mr. Moore's hobbies were mathematics and singing. He worked with ease arithmetic and geometry problems that “stump-ed” the school teachers, and thought nothing of walking miles across the country to singing school, where he learned to sing by the old time “sing the note” method. “Bee Jimmie,” as he was known in the community, spend an active and busy life working among his bees until he was 76 years old. On the night he died his bees seemed to know that their beloved master would would soon leave his earthly home forever., Gaining entrance to his room, some of the bees flew straight to his bed and hovered over him, then for a brief moment one bee rested lightly on his brow as if to caress him in a last farewell as his spirit winged its way to that home on high whose builder and maker is God.

from the September 2004 issue of the Pendleton County Historical and Genealogical Society Newsletter. The original source is not known.