Nancy “Nannie” (Dement) Jacks
How many of you here today are familiar with the home of Aaron and Sarah English whose address was Wimberly, Texas? It is located about four miles west of Wimberly. They moved there from Lee County, I think near Giddings, as the marriage of their oldest daughter (my mother) was issued at Giddings. There are very few living now that saw the old house near Wimberly as I saw it.
Our grandfather’s health failed before he was an old man, but his efforts at improving his house and the work he did on it even if he was in ill health showed a wonderful foresight and ability to make a home.
He did improvements on the farm that would be a compliment to a ranch even in these modern times.
He had a large barn with a carriage house under the same roof and joining it was a cow lot with a rock wall to the north for protection to the cows and two large feed troughs in the middle of the lot. Joining it to the west was a pasture of barbed wire with rock fence about 2 ½ feet high to keep small stock such as sheep and goats from wandering out of it.
And, as he had no well and windmill or running water, he had a large tank for storage when it rained, and was supported by seep springs located in a low place in the center of his pasture. All of which indicated that he was a man who had given lots of thought to improvements. He built a milk house under the same roof of his water well and made containers for milk to set in triangles filled with water from the well drawn up in buckets like the iron bound ones of early legend.
Now about the orchard, he had lots and lots of peach trees, some pears, figs, plums and grapes. He tried anything suitable to the locality. And neighbors came during the fruiting season to share with him.
This is not a myth, I well remember it all and am proud he had what it takes, except health. I am proud to remember him and to know that he tried with little to do with except his own determination and energy. Notice in this picture the large flagstones in the front yard and you’ll wonder how he placed them there. It was before we had automation and after slave times besides, he had no slaves. The house faced the orchard. Lou Breed can vouch for all I have told you.
I thought this would be of interest to these great grands and great-great grands to store in their memories of Grand Pap’s ambition and energy though a sick man.
