Jim and Callista lived in Cresson, Pa. In about 1917, Jim helped haul brick and was a waterboy for the construction of the brick road between Loretto for two summers, walking back and forth from his home in Cresson, for a dollar a day. The brick came from Patton. There were two kinds of brick: the regular even brick for the road, and then there was "fence line brick," brick that was intentionally uneven for the purpose on uphill grades, so horses could have traction. Eventually, Jim went to Loretto on Furry Troxell's spring horse wagon. In 1929, he worked in the highway department.
Jim was a sales representative for Geiger Bros., Lewiston, Maine, for 45 years, and was a bookstore manager at Mount Aloysius Junior College, Cresson. James was also Vice President of the Cambria County Park & Recreation Board, and was an avid hunter and fisherman. He sang in the St. Francis Xavier Choir for over 40 years. He had a tremendous love of singing and piano playing, and instilled his love of music in his family. He played piano in a square dance orchestra as well, with Roy Cone on fiddle, Harry Hill on banjo and Walt Rudolph of Loretto as caller. They played at various places in the area, such as the Grange Hall in Munster.

Before her marriage, Callista was the personal secretary for Hiram G. Andrews, editor of the Johnstown Tribune Democrat newspaper and state representative, in Johnstown, Pa.