Today's Featured Biography

 
Jesse Pomeroy

I joined the USAF right after graduation. I was stationed at Pope AFB in N.C., Kunsan, Korea, and Lincoln AFB Ne.

After my discharge I was told many pretty ladies were to be found in colleges, so I went looking for one. I attended Piedmont College for a year,none there that caught my fancy (or were slow enough to catch),then transferred to Georgia Southern for a couple of years.

I found my bride-to-be in Statesboro about the same time I finally made the "Dean's List".. Before you get too excited about old Jesse "finally" getting smart I would suggest to you that there are more than just one "Dean's List".

My name was on the "other" list.

I stuffed JoAnn in the trunk of the Firebird and took her across the Fl. state line with the intent of "having my way" with her for a while and then shipping her home to Mamma.

We were married shortly thereafter.

I worked at Seaboard Finance Co. in Jacksonville, and Eau Gallie, Fl. until I was rescued and set free by the FAA in May 1969..

I was an air traffic controller at Jax ARTCC in Hilliard, Fl. from May '69 until my retirement in Jan 2000.

We lived in Hilliard for many years before moving back to Waycross, and it was a pleasant surprise one day to run into a barefoot and pregnant Sylvia at a gas station there. I guess she was going to, or from Fernandina beach.

Sylvia was radiantly pregnant, and I'm betting there was shoe wear some place in the car...

I guess anyone going to and from Waycross to Fernandina thru the "short cut" in Hilliard passed the JAX ARTCC a zillion times never realizing what the building was and that a former classmate might be sleeping in there.

We moved back to Waycross in 1986 so Stephen would have better educational opportunities..

(Or, the Hilliard School system at that time was, how shall we say, less than excellent?)

After my retirement in 2000 I did very little until I heard that Ellen and Harold needed a new refrigerator. I needed 4 quarters to qualify for Social Security, so I hired on at Sears for a little over a year to kill two birds with one stone.

I got my 4 quarters, made a little money to ship to our Son (Stephen) to throw away at UF, and got Ellen and Harold their refrigerator.

In 2002 JoAnn and I bought 5 acres in the country out from Metter (next to her favorite Aunt)and shortly thereafter we found ourselves living the redneck high life in our aluminum hacienda.

JoAnn is an only child and we moved her Mother here next door to look after her, and her Mom's pretty spry for 85. I keep trying to run her down with my El Camino, but, so far, she's too quick for me.

We love it here.. No noise, no traffic (no boom boxes, or police sirens 24/7)..

In a nutshell I have the best wife in the world, the best Son, the best dog, and JoAnn and I have been blessed beyond measure in our marriage..

I loved my job as an air traffic controller and perhaps if I had slept less on the midnight shift and studied more I might have been better at it.

Maurice told me at the 20th class reunion that I had just "lucked" into my good job.

Perhaps Maurice was right.

But, In my faith there is a greater power looking out for each of us. I like to think my life has just been blessed beyond understanding and I am eternally grateful for those blessings.

I can look around and honestly say that I would not trade my life for that of any other.. And I believe being able to say that, and mean it, is a blessing in itself.

To those of my classmates who experienced greater prosperity or other good things, I applaud you.. To those who experienced a rough road, you have my sympathy..

But,I thank the good Lord every day for the blessings he has showered, and continues to shower, upon my family and myself.

J.

P.S. Oh yeah, did I mention I love my dog? (Jodie)

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