Palestine High School Alumni Association

12 / 04 / 1939  –  01 / 02 / 1997

Services for writer, editor and historian James “Jim” Neyland, 57, of Culver City, Calif., and formerly of Palestine, will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Herrington/Land of Memory with the Rev. Ron Walker, the Rev. Edward Blankenship and Don Harris officiating. Burial will be at 2 p.m. at Centerville City Cemetery.

Mr. Neyland died January 2 in Inglewood, California of cancer.

Mr. Neyland earned a reputation as a writer and author for major New York publishers in his career. He wrote the “Carter Family Scrapbook,” a close-up of President Carter’s family, which was published in 1977. He was biographer for academy award winner Betty Davis and movie maker Frank Capra, who was director of the classic film, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewart.

Mr. Neyland also wrote “The Battlestar Galactica Scrapbook” and “Politics, Fatcats and Honey-Money Boys,” which focused on the life and career of Jerry Sadler.

Mr. Neyland was reared in Palestine. His friends in Palestine consider him and his works “treasures.”

Mr. Neyland recently had completed a historical novel on the life of notorious City Marshall Christopher Columbus Rogers of Palestine. Mr. Neyland had chaired the Palestine Historical Commission and served as president of the Museum for East Texas Culture. He was instrumental in setting up the historical districts in the city of Palestine.

Mr. Neyland self-published three books on Palestine’s history: “Once Around the Square,” a definitive study of the history of the Courthouse Square; “Palestine, Texas, a History;” and “The Anderson County Courthouse, a History.” He also worked on the history of the Courthouse and Courthouse Square for the National Register.

Mr. Neyland coordinated the collection of historical documents and information for the Museum for East Texas Culture, Anderson County Historical Commission and Howard House Museum in Palestine. His work on the historic homes in Palestine was used extensively in publishing driving tour booklets for the north and south sides of Palestine.

Mr. Neyland most recently worked as editor for Melrose Square publishing company in Los Angeles. He wrote several books for a series on African-American history for the firm.

Mr. Neyland graduated from Palestine High School in 1958 and attended the University of Texas at Austin. He was active in the civil rights movement during the early 1960s.

Mr. Neyland also was a highly regarded artist and photographer.

He was Episcopalian.

Mr. Neyland was born in Texas on December 4, 1939. He was preceded in death by his father, James Rarden Neyland.

He is survived by his mother, Velma Hodges Neyland of Palestine; his son, Douglas Neyland of San Diego, Calif.; daughter, Laura Neyland of Minnetonka, Minn.; and brothers, Charles Neyland of Longview and Robert Neyland of Arlington, Va.

Pallbearers will be Don Hodges, Jonathan Hodges, Brett Neyland, Don Harris, Robert Laughlin and Steve Frisch.

Condolence calls will be received from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to a charity of the doner’s choice.

Palestine Herald-Press 01 / 04 / 1997