James Edward Shropshire, born on a farm in Fayette County, Texas during the difficult Reconstruction era, attended school sporadically, yet later earned a law degree from the University of Texas. He spent his entire eighty-seven years on the rough Texas frontier, and was known as a fine spinner of yarns.

In Brady, county seat of McCulloch County, he served as lawyer, County Attorney, judge, then mayor, and in other civic positions. Jim married and had one son, Gus Shropshire, and one granddaughter, Shirley. He died in Brady on January 22, 1952 at age 87.