“When you’re old, you still have the same feelings that you had when you were young. Family just means so much. Memories mean a lot.”
“Don’t waste life. Don’t put things off. Enjoy every minute that you can. Make the best of whatever comes.”
According to her granddaughter Nicole, Jerry has grown up to become a social justice warrior. People love her fiercely kind heart and compassion. A woman of integrity, she is also funny and insightful. Smart as a whip and always winning at games, Jerry has the kind of attitude to teach those around her how to play, so they can win against her. “I just think family is the most important thing. I am so proud of my family.”
Jerry has seen some change in her lifetime. She grew up on a farm in Texas with no electricity or indoor plumbing, with outdoor bathrooms. They milked cows. She had three boys who are the blessings of her life, and now has grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Through time, she has noticed a change in society as well as technology. “Things have changed so much. The things I didn’t even think about then… now I think back how goofed up we were. I think about the way we treated Black people. I never knew we were mistreating them. The things we called them. I just grew up thinking certain things. Politically, I’ve changed. . . But, some things are better. I think there was more of a closeness in families than there is now. Because now we’re scattered all over.”
Jerry has an interesting work trajectory. “I made bras! I worked at a bra factory- Marie Foundations. We made bras for Sears Roebuck.” She started out on a sewing machine for a couple of years, then moved into the cutting department where she ran a Clicker (like a big cookie cutter) through 32 layers of fabric for another 10 years. Next, Jerry got her insurance license and sold for 10 years. Jerry and her husband (oh – they had fun together!) created an RV Park on their property in Texas where they installed a pool heavily utilized by all the grandchildren and neighborhood kids. Together, they ran Shady Acres – complete with live turkeys and peacocks – for 8 years.
