Grandmother Jackson

Addie Mildred Guthrie Jackson was born to William Rufus Guthrie and Mary Ann Walker in Paris, Henry County, Tennessee on April 29, 1905. She was their fifth child. Here sister Era May born in 1897 only lived a year. Then Dollie Lee, Harlie Walker, Annie Edrel, Mildred Addie, William Clarence, James Ripley and John Dorris were born into this good Christian Family.

Back: Dollie, Fred, Annie, Mary Ann, Mildred, William Rufus, Pa Jackson

Front: Christine(Dollie's Daughter), Harley, James (Jimmy), Clarence, James Harold (Fred & Annie's Son), Lowell (Dollie's Son), Dorris

Rufus Guthrie

Grandmother Jackson always shared stories of her childhood to her children and grandchildren and later even her great grandchildren. These stories became a beautiful part of everyone of those children's lives and they continue to be shared today.

Mildred and her two sisters were especially close their entire lives, but as all children they played pranks on each other. Mildred would say how she loved her older sisters and always wanted to be with them. One day, Dollie and Annie were tired of her tagging along so they dared her to climb up a big tree in their yard. Mildred took their dare and managed to climb quite high in the tree; the only problem was that she needed to get down. Dollie and Annie laughed and danced around the tree assuring her that she could get down if she tried hard enough and they ran off to play on their own. Mildred said she sat up in that tree quite a while before anyone missed her and came to help her down.

Her brothers were hard workers and they loved to play all kinds of sports. Jimmy loved baseball and was very good. One day Mildred was helping in the kitchen when Jimmy came in and starting picking at her and teasing her. She said she took it for a minute or so, then she began to chase him around the table and she threw a wooden rolling pin at him hitting him on the elbow of his pitching arm! He always said she ruined his chanced to play pro ball! Jimmy raised his family in Humbolt, near Paris ans was a very successful businessman. He always looked after his sisters. My grandmother, Cheryl, had fond memories of spending summers with her Uncle Jimmy and his big family. As she saw the love they had for each other she decided that she too wanted a large family of her own one day. While Jimmy never played pro ball he encouraged his children  in sports and he himself was a champion checker player. He even played checkers on the Today show once. All of his nieces and nephews loved to play against him even though he would wipe them out in no time and laugh and laugh at their desire to beat them.

The brothers often found themselves in trouble of some sort and Mildred loved to tell their stories. Living on a farm meant that they all had chores. Jimmy had to chop wood one afternoon and while chopping Clarence approached him and started taunting him as he worked. Jimmy said "I bet you won't put your foot on this chopping block and let me chop it!" and Clarence took the dare and said "Oh yes I will!" The brothers were nose to nose! Well Clarence DID put his foot up on the block and Jimmy DID chop his toe! They were both surprised by what happened and how quickly it had taken place and Jimmy went running for his mom. Their mother took control right away. There were no hospitals or doctors close by to run to, so most sicknesses or accidents were handled right there in the home. After Clarence was feeling some better, their mom asked what on earth they had been thinking! Clarence said, "Well gee! I didn't think he would actually chop my toe!" and Jimmy said "I didn't think he would be dumb enough to leave his foot on the chopping block!" They both learned a life lesson with that little experiment.

Some years later Clarence was out hunting when he climbed over a fence and his gun went off hitting him, he never fully recovered from this. But even with that he was a wonderful father to his sons. He had a little grill in Paris and worked long hours to support his family. He was able to send all three of his sons to college. Clarence was the first of his siblings to pass. He was always proud of his family and respected by all who knew him. My Nana talked of how she always loved going to see her Uncle Clarence at the grill. She said he made the very best hamburgers, and when she got to enjoy one along with an RC Cola it was quite the treat!

Mildred loved to talk about their buggy trips. When she grew up and had a family of her own and they were loading into the car she would often mention how when she was little they would all load up into the buggy and how it seemed near impossible to get all of the children in at one time. And just as soon as they did her daddy would inevitably say, "Just a minute, I just have to grab a drink of water before we leave!"

As I said they lived on a farm and were all hard workers, but Saturdays were special and often meant a trip into town. They would leave early in the morning as it was a long walk. Then one day their daddy managed to buy a car! One Saturday, much to their surprise, he told Dorris and Jimmy they could take the car into town! Of course the boys were excited and off they went. After a long and wonderful day in town, they began their long WALK home. Yes, they forgot the car! Until they reached home and and their daddy asked quite alarmed "Where on earth in the car?!". They had to walk all the way back to town and retrieve the car. That turned out to be the easy part as they were teased all week by the entire family!

You might be wondering about Dorris' name, it is actually John Dorris, and although most people called him John, to his family he was always Dorris. Once when he was a teen, he wrote a note signed it and dropped it in a stream near his house. A year or so later he became sick and had to go to the hospital. In the small town of Paris everything made the newspaper, so there was an article about Dorris Guthrie being admitted to the hospital. While in the hospital he had an unexpected visitor. A young man from a town a few miles down the road came to visit Dorris, explaining that he had found the note in the bottle and had come thinking he would see a pretty young lady named Dorris in the hospital!

Mildred married Jesse Tildon Jackson on April 7th 1931. He Served in the Marines and was stationed in Paris Island, South Carolina. They had three children, Perry, Julia Cheryl, and Nyle. Their son Perry passed away as an infant. The family had many fun memories growing up and loved spending time with each other and visiting their family back in Paris.

Mildred and Jesse Tildon

Julia Cheryl Jackson 

Nyle Jackson

Julia Cheryl and Nyle

Julia Cheryl

My Nana spent so many summers with her Aunt Annie as she was growing up. She always loved her visits there. Her and Aunt Annie's sons would go to vacation bible school together, catch lightening bugs on Sunday nights after church, climb trees, and probably drive her Aunt crazy. Nana said what she remembered about Uncle Fred, Aunt Annie's husband, was that he drove a big road scraper. With so many dirt roads this was a much appreciated service. She was really little but she remembered very well the day he sat her on his lap and took her for a ride on that big tractor. She remembered thinking that he must have been very important to have such a wonderful job. She remembered his passing as well. At that time, it was common to have the viewing in the home and she remembers vividly that time. Her Aunt Annie was young even though she didn't realize it at the time. She had never learned to drive, so her son taught her. She never drove very much except for to church on Sundays and to the little store in town but she drove! One day my Nana was riding with Annie and her sons and one of her sons said "Mom you are going to get a ticket!" Annie replied "Why? I'm not speeding am I?" and her son said "No, but you are going to get a ticket for going too slow!".

My Nana loved spending those summers with Aunt Annie, Aunt Dollie, Uncle Clarence, and Uncle Jimmy and his family. She liked to visit some with her Granny and Great Aunt Bertie too. Granny was such a good cook and Aunt Bertie was so much fun! Her caramel popcorn was delicious! She thought nothing of cooking up sweet treats late at night, she was wonderful!

Mary Ann Walker (Granny)

Young Betty and Jimmy

When Mildred's Husband Jesse Tildon Jackson retired, they both moved back to Paris and had their little trailer park on Aunt Annie's Farm. They all enjoyed each other and got along so well! My Nana would take her family to visit them for several weeks during the summer. 

Even after Jesse passed, Mildred continued to live in Paris near Annie and Dollie. Jimmy would check in on them regularly and Dorris would stop by when he could. Mildred and Annie worked at the little Sally Lane candy store close to the farm where her great grandchildren (my mother and her siblings) loved to visit her and watch them make candy. They also felt it their duty to try out all of the samples!

After Annie passed Mildred went to liver with her daughter Julia Cheryl, my Nana, in South Carolina. She was always so sweet and easy to live with. She and my Nana's husband Eddy never had a cross word.

Jesse Tildon, Mildred Annie, Julia Cheryl, Eddy Emery, Alma Louise, Edward Emery

Mildred loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren. For a time they all lived on the same street in South Carolina and she absolutely loved this. I was very little when we lived near her, so I don't remember much about it. But my older sister and mom always talk about how much she loved us and would do anything with or for us. Grandmother Jackson was agreeable to anything the kids wanted to do, whether it was play school, or hair dresser, or even Disney World. One day my Papa Eddie walked into the house and heard a bell ringing and thought something must be wrong. He went back to check and there sat Grandmother in Mickey Mouse ears ringing a bell for my cousins Jillian and Andrew to come find her. Eddie laughed and said Grandmother they aren't here. They had gone home leaving her in her Mickey Mouse ears. It did embarrass Grandmother a little, but it was so sweet!

My Nana worked at Lexington High with the special needs students, and she asked Grandmother if she would like to do some volunteer work with these students. She was so excited to help. She went two days a week for a year or so and then went one day a week for the last few years she was able to help. She loved the students and they loved her. The school gave her a plaque recognizing her as volunteer of the year. She loved this and always kept it proudly displayed on her bedroom wall.

Grandmother attended The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with my Nana every Sunday for the twenty years that she lived with them. Everyone loved her and called her Grandmother and she loved all of the member.s She really loved Relief Society and always enjoyed participating in any extra events that they offered. She learned many hymns and would sing them often. She never joined the church but after she passed my Nana did the Temple work for her and her husband. Her and her family had such deep love for each other. I know they are together with their sweet families waiting on us to join them one day. My Nana is sure that she is still singing You Are My Sunshine to everyone in heaven. This was her and my Nana's favorite song. I love my Grandmother and Grandaddy Jackson so much, and I cannot wait to see them again one day.

Harley, Dollie, Annie, Mildred, Jimmy, Dorris, Clarence (Insert, He had already passed when the picture was taken)