J. C. AND DIXIE BLACKWOOD

The following bio was taken from page 115 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

Dixie Page Pool is the youngest child of Joseph Dixie Pool and Ethel Irene Yandle. She grew up on the family’s Church Hill farm and completed the eight grades offered at the Church Hill School. She graduated from Henderson High School in 1936. Like many students from rural communities outside of Henderson, she boarded away from home in order to attend high school.

In 1937 she met and married J. C. Blackwood, who was employed in Henderson at the Hughes Drug Store. The son of Mr. And Mrs. John Callicutt Blackwood, he had come here from Johnson County.

Dixie and "Jake" Blackwood had two children: Beverly Dee Blackwood, who married Nathan M. McAlister of Van, Texas, and John Barry Blackwood, who married Sharon Hedge of Henderson.

The family lived in Turnertown from 1941 through 1953 while Jake was employed by Industrial Supply Company and later National Supply Company, both of Kilgore.

While living in Turnertown, the Blackwoods attended the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The children went to the Gaston School.

The family moved back to Henderson in 1953. Jake continued with National Supply Company until his retirement in 1968. Dixie was a homemaker until she went to work for the Safeway grocery chain in 1961. She worked there until her retirement in 1974. The family was active in the First Baptist Church, where Dixie taught a primary Sunday school class.

Dixie enjoys cooking and sewing and is known for being skilled at both. Jake, who died in 1973, was artistically talented and was an enthusiastic collector of stamps and coins.

Dixie and her sister, Vennie (Pool) Crim, live in the Blackwood home on North Marshall.

Submitted by Sharon Hedge Blackwood