March 24, 2020
Stories of our youth from Judy Donohoo
So many memories of my Jackson grandparents. This is just one (or rather several).
Growing up I always lived in the same town (Lubbock, TX) as my grandparents on both sides. My Grandpa James Jackson retired from teaching in the late ‘30s and owned and operated a butane company until the late ‘50s.
He loved to garden! His entire huge backyard was a garden and fruit trees. My cousins and I loved to climb the cherry trees, sit up in them, and eat cherries until we were sick! After I got married and moved to Dallas, my new husband and I went by their house to say goodbye. He had a grocery sack full of apricots right off the tree. He also grew white radishes. I loved those things! I would pull them, wash them at the hydrant and eat them right in the backyard. Watermelons and cantaloupe were always abundant there. On the fences, he (or probably my grandmother) grew concord grapes. Her grape jelly was the best!
In his front yard were a golden delicious apple tree and couple of chinaberry trees! Those berries are lethal!! My brother and my cousins and I spent many an hour up in those trees having chinaberry fights.
How I wish I had quizzed him more about his family!
Submitted by Judy Donohoo