James Burke Wiggins was born January 22, 1922 to the late Joe and Beatrice Baxley Wiggins in Gunnison, Mississippi. He accepted Christ at an early age at St. James M.B. Church and was baptized at Stanford Lake in Perthshire, MS under the leadership of Rev. E.D. London. He attended Gunnison School in Gunnison, MS. He played baseball with the Gunnison baseball team. James was united in holy matrimony on May 20, 1940 to Johnnie Mae Price. They were blessed with five beautiful children, Leon, Oscar, Tommie, James and Evelyn. He was employed as a school bus driver and custodian for the West Bolivar School District from 1956 to 1966. He was also employed as Gunnison's City Maintenance Supervisor from 1968 to 1987.