James Chamberlin Furst was the son of Austin Owen Furst and Caroline Watson Chamberlin. He was a District Attorney for eight years and in 1927 was appointed by the governor to serve as District Judge for ten months. His portrait hangs in the Centre County, PA, Court House.

According to family lore, Jim flunked out of Princeton (law school or undergrad?) which angered his father. He traveled to Alaska where he stayed for six years and then returned home. While there, he got a tattoo of a snake. He never spoke about this period of his life. He became a lawyer and worked for his father’s law firm in Philadelphia and also in Bellefonte, PA. He was an alcoholic.

Birth

Jim was born on December 2, 1882, in Bellefonte, PA.

Marriage

Jim married Mary Adele Harrar in 1913.

Children

The couple had two children, Ellwood Harrar Furst (1917-1002) and Austin Owen Furst (1914-1998).

1. Austin Owen Furst, born November 28, 1914, married August 2, 1941, died October 18, 1998.
2. Ellwood Harrar Furst born February 10, 1917, died June 30, 2002.

Residence

237 W Linn St, Bellefonte, PA 16823

In 1967 Jim recorded some reminiscences of his life and his home. You can download copies if you wish to listen to it. Choose from mp3s or wmas (Windows Media Audio files). You’ll need to save the files, unzip them, and then double-click on one to listen to it.

Military Records

Occupation

Lawyer, district attorney, and judge.

Death

Jim died on June 17, 1968

Obituary