When James William Creel was born on 22 June 1870, in Georgia, United States, his father, Joel Stamps Creel, was 39 and his mother, Malinda Taylor, was 37. He married Martha Etta Milligan on 27 February 1895, in Cullman, Alabama, United States. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 4 daughters. He lived in Cullman, Cullman, Alabama, United States for about 20 years and Election Precinct 11 Trimble, Cullman, Alabama, United States in 1940. He died on 30 October 1951, in Cullman, Alabama, United States, at the age of 81, and was buried in Grandview, Cullman, Alabama, United States.