NORMAN — James R. Agar of Beverly Hills, Calif., married Jerelyn F. Johnson of Norman on Jan. 3, 1953, at Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Norman. Jim and Jere met when they were teenagers, while Jim attended boarding school in Lawrenceville, N.J., and Jere attended Mount Vernon Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Jere’s brother, Graham Johnson, who was also attending school in Lawrenceville, pointed Jim out to his sister. He told her, “That’s Jim Agar. You need to marry that guy.” When Jim finally met Jere, he introduced himself, saying: “I’m the guy your brother said you should marry." And she did some six years later.
Jere graduated from the University of Oklahoma. They married at that time and Jim later graduated from Stanford University. Jim and Jere then moved to Stuttgart, Germany, where Jim served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Field Artillery. After serving two years on active duty, the couple returned to Norman in 1956.
The Agars have lived continuously in Norman since then. Jim began work in the family insurance business run by Jere’s father, Graham B. Johnson, and Jere started to volunteer at Norman Regional Hospital. They brought home their first of four adopted children in 1957. Besides insurance, Jim also pursued oil and gas exploration, agriculture, real estate and a number of other successful small businesses.
An avid golfer, Jim won the 1987 World Senior Championship in Colorado Springs. He still goes to his office almost every morning.
Jere spent her time raising their children and decorating their Frank Lloyd Wright-style home on Boyd Street for every Christmas and Halloween. Jere studied painting, and became a talented jeweler.
Jere also proved a gifted golfer herself, spending many summers with Jim playing golf in Colorado Springs. She and Jim continue to attend Saint John’s Episcopal Church to this day.
Jim and Jere have four wonderful children: Graham Agar and his wife Dana McBride of Austin, Texas; Lacy Barrett and her husband Tony Barrett of Norman; Adrienne Hernandez and her husband Joel of San Antonio, Texas; and Col. Jim (Jimbo) Agar II and his wife Elizabeth of Washington, D.C. All four children were adopted from the Edna Gladney Home in Fort Worth, Texas, and all were married in Norman at Saint John’s Episcopal Church.
The Agars have seven grandchildren, Tyler Barrett, Brian Barrett, Courtney Agar, Chase McBride, Grace Agar, Alexandra Agar, and Sam Hernandez. The Agars also have two great-grandchildren, Ondrej Littlejohn and Layla Littlejohn.
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