By 1928, James was terminally ill. He died on 10 December 1928. 
There is a legend, captured by John Greenleaf Whittier in the poem, "Telling the bees," which explains that someone must tell the bees of their master's death or they will fly away.
James died in the winter, so he could not be buried in the intended cemetery plot until the spring. He was then buried in the desired plot. A day or two later a swarm of bees appeared at the grave. 
The bees belonged to Jesse Hepler, who lived two miles away.  They had been given to him by James.
No one told the James-Hepler bees of James' death, and, as in the legend, they flew away. Miraculously they flew to the grave of their former master, two miles away.