James Elliott Cheatham of Evergreen, VA died Monday, November 14, 2011, at his residence surrounded by his family.

He was born in Evergreen, VA, on December 26, 1921, a son of the late Zack Elliott Cheatham and Mayme Chocklett Cheatham both of whom predeceased him as did his wife, Ruth Birchett Cheatham.

He is survived by his sister, Jeanne Cheatham Stanley and her daughter, Jan Comer; his son, Zack Hudson Cheatham; his daughter, Nan Cheatham Edwards; his grandsons, James Hudson Cheatham and Weston Dane Edwards; and his great-granddaughter, Addison Cortney Cheatham.

James graduated from Appomattox High School, was in the graduating class of 1942 from Virginia Military Institute, and received his Master's Degree from the University of Illinois.

Upon his graduation from Virginia Military Institute Class of 1942, he entered the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant and was a training officer at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 1943, he married Ruth Williams Birchett of Hopewell, VA. He later entered the 24th "Yankee" division and arrived in France in 1944, as part of General Patton's Third Army. He received a battle field commission to the rank of Captain 24th Infantry Division Battery D Field Artillery and was present in the Battle of the Bulge and was a recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. At wars end he remained in Ebensee Austria as CO of Camp Ebensee prisoner of war camp.

Upon his return from Europe he went to University of Illinois for his Master's Degree and then went to New York and worked for a short time at Chase Bank. He then went to work for Bigelow Carpet manufacturer and was a sales representative covering a territory in Indianapolis, Indiana. He later represented and covered territory that included Florida. In 1952, with money saved he moved to St. Petersburg, Florida and opened a retail carpet company with a partner Mardi Deranian and called the company Carpet Fashions and Mill End Carpet Shops. He shortly after bought out his partner and ran Carpet Fashions for forty years. Carpet Fashions became a thirteen store company with stores in Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia. He was an avid sportsman, fishing the banks of his gulf home in Florida, as well as being a bird hunter all of his life.

With the passing of his wife Ruth in 1983, he continued to own and run Carpet Fashions until 1993. He sold his home in Florida in 1999 and moved back to Evergreen, Virginia. He bought two homes and designed, built and decorated a third home, "the cabin", on a ten acre lake that he also had created. He was a loving father and was very close with his family. He particularly loved his great granddaughter, Addison, for whom he sang, "She'll be comin' round the mountain".

He will be buried in Evergreen Cemetery in a private service for family members only on Wednesday. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes for contributions to be made to the Virginia Military School Alumni Affairs.