Born: 22 July 1907
Died: 2 September 1963 in Poplar Springs, Winston County, Alabama
Age at Death: 56 years
Burial: 7 September 1963, Jasper, Walker County, Alabama
He married Rosa Clara Wint
Marriage: 5 December 1926, Winston County, Mississippi
Born: 1909
Died: 4 January 2001, Jasper, Walker County, Alabama
Age at Death: 91 years
Burial:
Parents: John Wint and Martha Jane King
The following was graciously supplied by Jessie Prestridge Heale:
Below is a typescript of my grandfather, Jessie William Prestridge's life story. It
was written in pencil on scratch paper--he intended to make some corrections and write it in ink, but died before he did so. He drowned
while clearing weeds from a farm pond. He almost died in a railroad accident; he fell under a moving train. He lost both legs above the
knees and was in a wheelchair for the last few years of his life. Even though confined to a wheelchair, he learned to drive a car with hand
controls, took me fishing, and worked in his garden-- he had boards cut to sit on. He sat on one, placed one in front of him, scooted onto
the second board, reach behind him and put the first board in front and progress down the garden rows to cultivate and gather crops.
Jessie William Prestridge's Life Story
I Jessie William Prestridge was born July 22 1907. My Father�s name was Oskar Larcus Prestridge. My Mother�s name was Susie A Graben. My grandfather was Marcus Zacariah Prestridge. My grandmother was Martha Caroline Ophelia Hodnett. She was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson Hodnett.
I was born near Lineville in Clay County Alabama on a 40 acre farm which my father owned. I was the fourth son of my parents. There was no girls in the family. My mother�s health went bad when I was quiet young. She was sick for several years and Father had a hard time to keep the Dr. Bills paid and keep the family food and clothes. Mother died when I was 7 years old. I did not start to school until I was 8 years old. My first teacher�s name was Mrs. Burnese Bokes at McCollum School house a 2 teacher school.
I went to the second year of school at the same school. My teacher was Mrs. Mamie Reves. My father married during my second year of school to Stella May Ford and he sold the farm for $500 and moved near to my stepmother�s father. My next year in school was at Spring Hill a country one teacher school. I don�t remember his name.
The following year we moved to Marshall County 6 miles south of Boaz Ala. I went school at Old Union a 2 teacher school. My teacher�s name was Mr. Whitney. We moved back to Clay County the next year and I went to Spring Hill School where I went to school my next 2 years.
My father and stepmother did not agree very well and all of us boys left home at a young age. I was only 13 when I left home. I went to my brother Dolphurs and made it home there until I married at the age of 19. I helped Dolphurs gather his crop and we picked enough cotton for other people for me to go to school on the next year. I went to a Junior High School at Barfield Ala. in Clay County. I studied the 7th grade here until Feb. when my brother Dewey some time before had come to Winston County and he came back to visit us.
He had got him a job on the RR and he wanted us to go back with him and so we did. So this finished my education. Dolphurs went to work on the RR but I was too young to get work on the RR so I got a job with a coal miner Mr. Walter Chism who I worked on the farm 5 months for $20.00 per month. He wanted me to go to work in the mines with him. I went in and worked 2 days with him this was 2nd and 3rd day of July 1923 so the 4th of July I found out I could work on the RR. On the 5th day of July 1923. I was 16 years old on the 22nd day of July. I worked till in 1924 in the summer when my brother Dewey bought a Ford truck and hauled lumber for a while and got his leg hurt which caused his death. About a year later after Dewey got hurt I took over the truck and kept it about a year. During this time began dating Miss Daisy Wilson which we enjoyed many dates for a year or longer.
The most of our dates was along with most of the young people who lived near Daisy�s home. Along with us was Clara Wint which become the dearest person in all the world to me. Our dates too was mostly with the group of young folks.
We were married Dec. 5th 1926. We lived in the house with my bro. A D about a month then moved in a 6 room house with Hilliard and Angie Cheetam sharing 3 rooms each of a 6 room house at Nauvoo, Ala. On the 11th of Sept. 1927 our first son James Arnold was born the next dearest person in all the world to each of us.
My father and stepmother was separated and Father was staying with us and he wanted us to move out on a farm which we did in December 1927. I worked part time on the RR for a few years. Then the Depression came and work got slack and I had to farm until Feb. 5th 1940 when I went back to the RR at this time I lived 6 miles from Nauvoo. I had to walk back and forth to work till about July I borrowed $50.00 from D L Dodd and bought a Ford Coup which I used when I worked. I drove over next morning I got rolled off my job but I was not off but a few days.
Getting back to 1927 we moved to Alford Powell place and made our first crop which was a wet year and our crop being most in bottom land we did not make any corn much. Just 2 bales of cotton. I worked back on the railroad after crops was laid by. My brother A D help me pick a lot of our cotton at night so I could work on the RR. We moved in the fall of 1928 to the Chadwick place near my wife father place where we had it hard to make a go of it but we were better satisfied living up here. We lived here until the fall of 1931 we made three bales of cotton this year and enough corn to feed to make another crop and we sold the cotton. Put the money in the bank. We only got $76.00 for the cotton and the bank bursted and got $32.60 of that. And I had not paid the $50.00 rent so we were in a real jam. We sold a wagon that I gave $55.00 in the spring for $25.00 to pay on the rent.
In July 29 1930 our first daughter Betty Jo was born when again brought great joy in our lives. We moved to the Shug McCullar place in the fall of 31. My father in law borrowed $75.00 for me to buy a pair of mules and wagon. My father and stepmother had gone back together at this time and they moved to the McCullar place and used the mules to make a crop. We made a good crop. On July 26th our other daughter Jeanene was born. We was again made to rejoice.
We moved in the house with my wife�s father in 1932 and made a crop then moved Jabe Wilson place at this time belonged to J W Dodd. Lived there till Nov. 1935 and moved on Morgan place and lived there till 1941. In 1939 our house burned we saved enough of the furniture to get along with. There was another house on the place and our neighbors came in and tore the house down and rebuilt it near where the one burned. Our neighbors was good to us. We lived there until 1941 we moved back to my father in laws place in his tenant house and lived there till 1947 when we built a new house where we live at this time and hope to finish up life here.
In 1943 May 13th our last child was born Jerry Gale and in 1943 my half brother Robert Taskel was killed in the war near Roam Italy. In Feb. 1945 my wife�s father and my father died. We were left very lonely. My father-in-law had lived with us since his daughter Nellie went to Wyo. in Feb. 1943.
In the summer of 1939 the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited our home which they had done several times before but I had never thought but one church was as well as the other. We was not active in any church we went to the Baptist some of which I was a member and my wife was a member of the LDS. This visit was in Aug. of 1939. At this visit they asked about baptizing my children as it is the teaching of the church for the parents to encourage there children to be baptized when they are 8 years old. The missionaries explained a lot of the difference in their teachings from the other churches. So I became interested and wanted to know more about their teachings.
They held a testimony meeting at our house. 4 missionaries my father-in-law and his daughter Nellie was present. When my wife stood and bore testimony that she knew the LDS Church was true this was the first time I had heard her say a thing in church. I could tell while I looked her in the face that she was sure of what she was saying. That short testimony gave more courage than any words I had ever heard. I knew that my children was very dear to me and that the Lord would hold me responsible for their being brought up.
So this was a challenge to me. Was I to let my children be baptized into a false church or was I going to stand in the way of truth. This put me to thinking. The missionaries left me some pamphlets of doctrine of the church and marked a lot of scriptures in the Bible for me to study. I promised them that I would study and try to give them an answer the next visit which would be in about a month. I begin to study the scripture they asked me to read and it seemed to begin to give me new light and understanding what I had never had before. I read the little tract called Joseph Smith�s Own Story. This was the greatest thing I had ever heard. I found myself in the same condition that Joseph was in. I was wanting to know which of the churches was true. If they was not all true I wanted to know. I asked the neighbors what they thought of there teachings. They would tell me that they liked there teachings but they could not except Joseph Smith as a prophet. So I saw that I would not get what I wanted from man. I felt like if God was no respect of person that he wanted me to know this truth as he did Joseph Smith. I felt that if I would ask the Lord to show me in some way he would if I had faith enough so I did as I felt I should. I went to the woods to pore out my hearts desire to the Lord to know the truth of the LDS Church. I did not receive an answer as Joseph did but I did not give up. I did not feel that I had committed sin that the Lord would hold his truth from me. I keeped praying often for two or 3 days. Finally I went to bed one night I asked the Lord to show me in a dream if this church was true or not. I recognized my unlearned condition and my desire to know the truth that I was willing to repent and meet any condition if he would answer my prayer. I had not been in bed but a short time when the Lord answered my prayer. He sent two missionaries to me in a dream. They told me many things of which the missionaries before had told me. They explained the Book of Mormon to me and gave me a Book of Mormon. They told me in this dream that this contained the everlasting Gospel that John spoke of that the angel would fly from heaven bring to earth.
So I kept studying and praying for wisdom and light. It became more interested than anything that I had ever studied. The more I read then the more I wanted to know.
When the missionaries came back I was ready to be baptized my self. I was baptized on the 5th of Nov. 1939. It was cold enough the ground was frozen that morning at 10 o�clock. We waited till the next visit in DEC the missionaries came back. It was a warm beautiful day and James Arnold my son & Betty Jo my daughter was baptized on the 9th of DEC 1939. Following this we began a home Sunday School at my Father-in-law�s place and we continued for several years. I was ordained to the office of an Elder on ___
we began having a home Sunday School conference around with the other members of the church in the surroundings from Haleyville, Addison, Jasper, and Townley & Carbon Hill. We would carry lunch and enjoy the day having Sunday School at 10 and have talks after lunch. We carried Sunday School at home until some time in 1952 when we begin to go to Addison to Brother Robinson to be with them. We continued this until the second Sunday in Oct. 1955 when we met at our Daughter�s house in Jasper with our home Sunday School conference and our District officers were there. President Stance H Moore, Brother Sam Vining first counselor, Bro Willard Langston 2nd counselor, Bro James Newbold Dist Clerk. They asked the group about organizing a branch and they was all willing to organize into a branch in Jasper. I was selected a Branch President. R P King first counselor Simeon Robinson 2nd counselor James Forrest Holly was Branch Clerk. So out of our home Sunday School grew into the Jasper Branch of which we are yet enjoying.
Forrest and Betty moved to Ft Lauderdale, Fla. in a few weeks. Then we had to meet some where else. We found it was not very easy to find a place in Jasper. Seemed that every one was against us but I finally found Mr. Paul Carter who was in charge of the Memorial Park in Jasper. He was very nice. He made arrangements for us to use the auditorium of the park rent free. We just paid $250 per month for the heat and lights. In the summer months he got the city auditorium for us. We got along with this had some difficulties as the buildings were for the public. We would have to give it up sometimes to other groups. We had several baptisms the first 2 years. We had 2 missionaries in Jasper for about 1 year helped us out a lot.
In 1956 they changed managers of the city buildings. Mr. Joe Gamble took Mr. Paul Carter�s place. Mr. Gamble has been one of the finest men I have ever met in Jasper. He has tried to help us out in every way that he could. We continued having a few baptisms in the Branch area mostly by the missionaries. My oldest son James baptized his wife in the new Anniston Chapel in 1957 which was a wonderful event in my life as it the rest of my family.
I was still working for the Southern RR Company until April 10th 1959 when I fell from a moving train. I fell across the rail and lost both my legs just had 7 inches of my legs left. This slowed down my activity. I stayed in the People�s Hospital 8 weeks. I had excellent care. I got my artificial legs in Sept. 1959 which I have not got to walk on much yet; this is Oct. 19, 1959. But I have been going back to church since July. The people are good to help me around which I am very grateful for. While I was in the hospital they was so many of my friends tried to see me. My special nurses wouldn�t let them. I was so weak I just couldn�t have company. I almost lost all my blood. They proved they believed in giving flowers while I lived. If I don�t get any for my grave I have had my portion. It is wonderful to have friends.
This has helped me a lot to keep my faith built up in the church all my friends done all they were sorry that it happened they seemed to try to make me believe I could live a happy life yet which I hope to do. My friends has so much faith in me I just can�t let them down.
Jessie William Prestridge wrote this memory at the request of his daughter-in-law, Laverne.
I was 8 or 9 years old when a cousin of mine Henry J Graben came to our house and I was standing out against the wall of the house and he came up to me like he was going to shove me through the wall so I just met hands with him and both my elbows pushed out of joint. In those days it would have took 4 or 5 hours to get a doctor so they just pulled them back in place and got some red mud mixed vinegar with it and tied it up in brown paper that was the remedy for all sprains so they got ok. I went with both arms in a swing awhile and they was all right.
Jessie William Prestridge and Rosa Clara Wint had the following children:
+
3262
i.
James10 Prestridge.
3263
ii.
Betty Jo Prestridge.
She married Forrest Holly.
3264
iii.
Jeanine Prestridge reference
3265
iv.
Jerry Prestridge.