Page 16 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2021- Online Magazine
P. 16
Exceptional
Best SENIORS
Childhood Ever
Beezie Jackson
by Jane Bromley
eldon Cobb was a farmer six eventually being
in the Paducah area from called the “Bigs”.
Wthe 1920s to the 40s. He Almost two decades
and his wife Gertrude raised 11 separated the oldest
children. Five daughters and one from the youngest,
son came along pretty quickly. A but according to the
space of a few years passed before littlest girl, Beatrix,
the mother of six gave birth to four that family dynamic
more boys and another girl. Those contributed to what
five were affectionately called the she calls “the best
“Littles”, which led to the older childhood ever”.
Beatrix was we always had plenty of company
named after an aunt who went to eat all of the melons.” All of the
by the nickname “Beezie”, and Cobb children worked in the fields,
the moniker fit the “little”, chopping cotton in the summer.
too. Beezie, the Cobb’s ninth “We didn’t really chop the cotton.
child, was born in Paducah We chopped the weeds.” In the fall,
during an historic 84-hour they pulled bolls and “shocked”
blizzard. Her daddy had the maize (tied it in bundles). Even
farmed south of Paducah, the “littles” worked hard, but “we
but Beezie remembers how played hard, too.”
excited they were when he
bought 620 acres of farm and Cowboys and Indians was such a
rangeland north of Paducah. popular pastime that even some
“It had canyons, which were of the “big” brothers-in-law joined
great for playing Cowboys and in. They played lots of football
Indians.” and baseball, marbles, and “Kick
the Can”. “We had a pole light, so
Weldon was a hard worker we could play Hide and Seek way
who raised much more than past dark. I played whatever the
children. Besides the cattle, boys played. I don’t remember ever
hogs, chickens, cotton, wheat having (or wanting) a doll.”
and maize, the family had
an orchard with peach and The idyllic childhood was
apricot trees and a big garden dramatically altered when Beezie’s
with corn, black-eyed peas, daddy was paralyzed after he fell
and watermelon. “Mama from the windmill. She was in
canned the corn and peas, but first grade. An older sister moved
16 Lubbock Senior Link
