Person:Jackson Rasberry (1)

Jackson Green Rasberry

• Saturday 24 Feb 1996 – Letter from Azalia to Pat Hogue^S1

Dear Pat,

“My uncle, Jackson Green Rasberry who was married to Fama Betts is at the far right of the top row in the family picture I sent of James Lawson Rasberry’s family. This picture was made before he was married. There’s a rather sad story of his marriage. He and Fama (who was said to be quite beautiful) were married and had two little girls – Becky, the younger, was still just a baby. It was during the flue epidemic of 1918 and Uncle Jack came home from work (he was a fireman at that time) and found Fama lying down saying that she really didn’t feel very well. She didn’t seem too sick – just a little under the weather. Uncle Jack sat down in a rocker beside the bed to read the daily paper. After a few minutes he heard Fama give a big sigh. He put the paper down – and she was DEAD! The flue that was widespread at that time could apparently be lethal in a very short time. His mother, my grandmother Mary Alice (Woolley) Rasberry took the little girls and kept them for a couple of years.^S1

Jackson Green Rasberry married a second time Betty Starr – of a prominent Cherokee family. Her sister married a VANN – another prominent Cherokee family in the early days. My mother was never crazy about her “Indian sister-in-law” but Uncle Jack always seemed to be content with her. As with everyone else, the depression years were not easy for them – but not as hard as they were for some of us. As they grew older they became quite prosperous from oil wells that were drilled on land my Uncle had bought over the years.^S1

Alice and Becky are two of my dearest cousins – both having the same intense dark eyes that their father and mother had. Alice was the family beauty in her youth – a strawberry blond (almost a true light red) with those snapping dark eyes and dimples – Becky was pretty too – but not in the same league with Alice. Becky had dark hair and eyes, looked more like her father, and was always so sweet. I saw them both about ten years ago – Alice was still lovely and Becky still had a bubbling personality and that inherent kindness she always had shown. Anyway, I’m sure about this family. Speaking of Alice’s almost red hair, my grandfather, James Lawson Rasberry was a redhead who said he got into a lot of fights as a boy when he was called “Peckerwood”. None of his children had red hair. Alice was the only grandchild who did. But he had several great grandchildren with red hair.”^S1

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Azalia McGranahan Thomas of Sandy, Utah. Letters of Correspondence with Patrick Lawrence Hogue (Samples) of Weed, California. (17 Jan 1996; 14 Feb 1996; 22 Feb 1996; 24 Feb 1996).