JERRY AND SYLVIA BALLOW

The following bio was taken from page 101 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

Jerry was born in the old Jim Gibson home in the Millville Community where he lived until he was almost four years old. At this time, he and his family moved to Orange, Texas where his father worked in the shipyards during the war. They lived in Orange for five years before moving back to Henderson. I, Sylvia, was born in my Grandmother Moss’s home in Choctaw County, Mississippi in a little community called Fentress. My granddaddy, H. A. Moss owned and operated the community store which also housed the local post office.

Jerry and I were married June 29, 1962 in what was then the Central Presbyterian Church. Jerry is employed by Eastex Telephone Cooperative, and I work part-time at Nana & Papa’s Greenhouse. We have two children – Jim, who is a freshman at Texas A & M, and Kim, who is a senior at Henderson Senior High.

My mother is Lavelle Long Moss and my father is the late Jim Moss. Mother and Daddy and their four children moved to New Boston, from Mississippi in 1952 and then to Henderson in 1953. My sisters are Peggy Holland, whose children are Randy, Jeff, Lesa, and Lynn Holland; and Nancy Moss, who is a hair stylist in Garland. My brother is Archie Moss. He and his wife Debbie have three children, Stan, Kasey, and Ricky Moss.

Jerry’s mother and father are Mozelle Peterson Ballow and Charles Ballow, who are native Rusk Countians. His brother, Charles (Poochie) Ballow and his wife, Sue, have three children, - Roger (Scooter), Lynn, and Susan Ballow. His sister, Barbara, and her husband, Gilbert, have three children – Tony, Tabitha and Dowell Baker. The Bakers live in Jacksonville, Texas.

Submitted by Sylvia Ballow