James Drury

James Lambert Drury, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, March 17, 2008, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center.

Jim was born Nov. 22, 1929, in St. Louis to Lambert and Lorraine Dohogne Drury. He and Charlotte Gail Taylor were married April 7, 1994, in Cape Girardeau.

Jim loved Cape Girardeau and the surrounding communities and always promoted what he felt was in their best interest. Those who knew Jim well also know that he was a very private person when it came to giving and making things happen. He gave generously to people and causes both at home and in other parts of the world.

Jim was a prominent businessman in Cape Girardeau with roots in the region dating to when Lambert Drury, his father, struggled to save $4,000 working as a plasterer in St. Louis to purchase the Kelso farm in 1927.

His family entered the hotel business in 1960 with a franchise from Holiday Inn to build a hotel in Cape Girardeau. That hotel opened in 1961. He was founder of Midamerica Hotels Corp., which began in 1968 as the central location where the family operates the business. Jim, with his brothers, was also a founder of the Drury Inn hotel chain.

He belonged to Missouri National Guard, International Association of Holiday Inns (IAHI), National Franchise Association (NFA) of Burger King, for several years to the elite Licensee Education Group (LEG) of only 20 Burger King franchisees where he was a founding member. Jim was also a member of Southeast Missouri Hospital Association, Chamber of Commerce, Kelso Chapter of Knights of Columbus and a charter member of Southeast Missouri State University Copper Dome Society.

One of Jim's great loves was baseball/softball, where he played on the Kelso fast pitch team as pitcher. He was so successful he was invited to the Pirates Baseball Club, but was called home by his father because he was needed in the family plastering business.

Jim is survived by his wife, Charlotte; four children with his former wife, Wanda Lee Burger Drury, Daniel (Karla) Drury, John (Anita) Drury, Ken Drury, and Diane (Kevin) Edwards, all of Cape Girardeau; three brothers, Charles L. (Shirley) Drury of St. Louis, Robert A. (Carmen) Drury of San Antonio, Texas, and Jerry M. (Katie) Drury of Cape Girardeau; four sisters; Mary Jane Jansen (Jim) Ford, Patricia A. (Theon) Schlosser, Nancy K. (David) Pfeiffer and Victoria L. (Ted) Hahn, both of Cape Girardeau.

Also 11 grandchildren, Jordan Drury, Justin Drury, and Jamie (Matt) McDowell of Cape Girardeau, Ashley Drury of Naples, Fla., Dylan Drury of Cape Girardeau, Natalee, Colton and Lexis Edwards of Cape Girardeau, and Morgan, Koby and Kendall Drury of Cape Girardeau; and two great-grandchildren, Hunter Drury and Daniel Jerry "D.J." McDowell of Cape.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Lambert and Lorraine Dohogne Drury; an infant daughter, Donna Kay Drury; a brother, Thomas J. (Rita) Drury; and a granddaughter, Lacey Nicole Edwards.

Friends may call from 4:30 to 9 p.m. today at Cape Bible Chapel.

The funeral will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at Cape Bible Chapel, with Dan Greene and the Rev. James Seyer officiating. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to Lacey Nicole Edwards Foundation at St. Vincent de Paul Church.