Dempsey remembered as Pillar of the Bartlett Community
By Chris Dempsey
Special to The Bartlett Express
Photo Courtesy of the Dempsey Family
James Edward Dempsey, Sr. grew up in rural Hornersville, Missouri, where he chopped cotton, picked strawberries, and pitched watermelons. On the day he turned 18, November 19, 1961, he came to Memphis to find a job.
Work was scarce in Memphis, but on February 8, 1962 the employment office called him at the boarding house where he was staying to say there was a job opening for a hardware store clerk at Stewart Bros. Hardware, located at 1340 Madison Ave. He said he was interested in the job, especially because it was within walking distance of the boarding house, and he didn’t have a car.
The interview went well. He would later write, “As I walked back to the boarding house, I was so happy and excited about the job. It sounded like a dream job to me: a steady income, a warm place to work in winter and a cool place to work in the summer.” James officially began employment at Stewart Bros. on February 12, 1962, for a salary of $40 per week. On that day, he had a total of $3 to his name.
James took the opportunity to work at Stewart Bros Hardware seriously, and applied himself wholeheartedly. He was motivated to provide for his sweetheart Marilyn, to whom he would be married for almost 59 years. Stewart Bros. had a builder’s hardware division that specialized in lock sets, hinges, etc. and when given the opportunity, though he had only traveled from Hornersville to Memphis, he boarded a train for the first time at the age of 20 and went to New Britain, Connecticut for six-weeks of training, at the Russwin Hardware School.
When he returned to Memphis, he began calling on architects and contractors to help them with their builder’s hardware needs. He wrote, “Many times I would work at the store till 10:00 p.m., and then take home plans that I had checked out from the plan room and make takeoffs until 2:00 a.m. I would sleep a few hours and go back to the store by 7:00 a.m.
to price and quote the jobs by 10:00 a.m. I always tried to do everything that I ever told anyone I would do.”
At the age of 23, he became the store manager of Stewart Bros. He began to buy shares of the company from the existing shareholders, as opportunities were presented, and in time became the majority shareholder.
Under his leadership, the business expanded to become both a leading retail hardware destination and a major contract hardware distributor in West Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
In August of 1977, James purchased a 6,000 square foot building on 7-1/2 acres in Bartlett, at 7715 Highway 70. He moved the business’ hollow metal door shop there, and opened a retail hardware store.
Through the years, the business grew and expanded. Marilyn faithfully stood by him and helped in the bookkeeping. Their four kids (James Dempsey, Jr, Shawn Knight, Chris Dempsey, and Alicia Byer) all worked in the business, and continue to operate the business today. Stewart Bros. Hardware has been voted “Bartlett’s Best Hardware Store” numerous times.
James, ever the entrepreneur, also went on to develop Twin Oaks Plaza at 7731 Highway 70.
James was a successful businessman, a church leader, and a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He passed away on April 25th, 2024, at the age of 80.
