Zerelda "Zee" Mimms was born on July 21, 1845 in Logan, Kentucky, to Pastor John W. Mimms and Mary James Mimms, Zerelda was one of twelve children. Her mother was the sister of Robert James, Jesse James' father, making them first cousins. Zee, as she was more familiarly called, was actually named for Jesse's mother. This; however, did not stop the pair from falling in love while Jesse was living temporarily with his aunt his aunt and uncle in Kansas City, Missouri in 1865.