When James Thomas Fisher was born on 2 September 1854, in Lafayette, Missouri, United States, his father, Martin Fischer, was 27 and his mother, Julia Ann Oster, was 30. He married Mary Katherine Creason in 1879. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 6 daughters. He lived in Lexington, Lafayette, Missouri, United States in 1880 and Bonsall, San Diego, California, United States for about 10 years. He died on 4 March 1940, in Oceanside, San Diego, California, United States, at the age of 85, and was buried in Oceanview Cemetery, Oceanside, San Diego, California, United States.