Leighton legend King passes away at 92

Whether he was telling stories, riding on horseback or helping put together one of the biggest philanthropic events in the southeast, Jimmy King was giving it his all.

King was a local legend in Leighton, well known for breeding and training horses, telling stories and helping to preserve the history of the place he called home.

King passed away on Dec. 12, and many people have taken to social media to give his family their condolences and speak on the kind of man he was.

“Jimmy King is a true Leighton legend,” according to a post from the Town of Leighton Facebook page. “He dedicated his time to preserving the history of Leighton and was absolutely essential in the establishment of our state-of-the-art Leighton Museum.

“Mr. King was also a founder of the Northwest Alabama Saddle Up for St. Jude Trail Ride and Concert. This event has raised over $4 million over the last 29 years for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. A Leighton native, Mr. King was a lifelong member of Leighton United Methodist Church.”

The King family founded the Leighton Museum in 1954, which was relocated to Bank Independent in 2016.

The museum includes a case dedicated to King complete with relics dating from as far back as the 1700s.

The museum also features a video of King and others telling stories about the town.

Saddle Up for St. Jude began in 1995 after the hospital made a phone call to King and asked him to help coordinate a fundraiser built around horseback riding.

According to the event website, King — 62 years old at the time — said yes without hesitation.

Saddle Up for St. Jude has now been going on for 29 years, has been hosted at Gardiner Farms since 1996 and has raised millions for childhood cancer research.

What started as a one-day affair is now three days of trail riding, concerts and an ever-growing charity auction on the third weekend of each July.

According to King’s obituary, which can be found on Page 8 of this week’s “Reporter,” James “Jimmy” Briscoe King was born on April 2, 1933, the second son of Lawrence Henderson King and Lucile Briscoe King.

He attended high school at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, before attending Auburn University.

He served in the United States Army from 1954-1956. During that time, he married his high-school sweetheart Polly Morgan.

They were married for just shy of 70 years.

They raised three daughters on their farm in Leighton, where king grew crops, raised cattle and bred and trained American Quarter Horses, racehorses, cutting horses and calf-roping horses.

“He passed on his passion for horses and competition to his daughters and grandchildren, two of whom he loved to watch as they became world class ropers,” said his obituary.

“Jimmy was a lively storyteller and took a strong interest and pride in preserving the rich history of Northern Alabama. A true local historian, he maintained and generously shared the personal archives, artifacts, and records of his grandfather, Frank R. King, and many other family members.”

To quote Jimmy’s favorite story ending, “And if that’s not the way it was, that’s the way it should’ve been.”