Jack “Big Jack” Wilson was born 15 May 1922 in Washington, Iowa to Charles Ream Wilson and Sylvia Alice May “Grandma Binkie” Ribbink. He married Marian Claudine “Deenie” Yoder on 25 Nov 1942 in Schuyler, Missouri. Deenie was born 18 May 1921 to Nicholas Jacob Yoder and Emma Belle Yohn in Greene Townplace, Iowa. They had 5 children, Jack “Lil Jack” Lee , David Bruce, Nicolas Charles, Randolph Alan and Kimberly Joan. Kimberly was born 03 Nov 1959 in Dallas, Texas. She died 5 Mar 2018 in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico at the age of 58.
When Deenie started kindergarten she walked in and went straight to the bookshelf and picked out a book and began to read it. When the teacher called her over she replied ‘I came to read’ In the first six weeks she had learned so much that they recommended that she be moved to the first grade because there was nothing left for her to learn in Kindergarten. On the other hand though… she flew through school and she completed high school in 3 years with the exception of .5 of a point. She decided she didn’t want to go to school for another entire year for just a .5 of a point so she didn’t graduate.
Deenie was able to play multiple instruments, she wanted to learn the Clarinet but her and her four sisters got scarlet fever and it affected her ears. She couldn’t blow hard enough to play, she tried the flute but it was the same result.
Deenie was raised Menonite, her Grandmother Katie Swartzentruber Yoder, was raised Amish. She was sad because Nick and Emma raised their daughters in the city and because they wore short sleeved dresses.
Jack joined the Army when he was 17 on 27 Oct 1939. To read more about his military career, click here. The family relocated to Dallas, Texas in the late 40’s.
Deenie was in the Signal Corps, she learned to type messages over the telegraph wires. The Signal Corps was called “the Arm, Behind the Army”
When Jack learned he was going overseas they eloped. They likely decided that it would be better to be married for even just a short period of time than not to marry at all. I could imagine that their early years in marriage were difficult because of his service but that was something that they both gave, that all their descendents should be proud of. Honor them for their effort and sacrifice.
While Jack was away Deenie gave birth to their first son, more specifically exactly two months to the day that Jack stormed the beach at Normandy, Lil’ Jack was born on the 6th of August. There is no telling what horrors he witnessed and the things he lived through but with God’s grace he made it home.
He was stateside on 22 Oct 1945. His son Lil’ Jack was over a year old the first time he must have seen him.
The family remained in Texas. Jack went into Refrigeration Service. He was a member of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society beginning in 1954.
They moved to Taos around 1973. He opened Wilson Refrigeration which, in time, he passed over to Kim and Eddy (my father) after his passing. Eddy worked for Jack and it became a common thing, that people thought he was his son, so he took to the name Eddy Wilson.
Jack became very involved in the Taos Mountain Balloon Rally, he sponsored a balloon every year and enjoyed flying. It became a family tradition for many years.
They loved Kim and they doted on her. Deenie got kim into ballet and she handmade all her costumes. She also handmade her Barbie clothes in the style that Kim liked. She was very spoiled. Their aspiration was for her to become a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
Deenie loved her yard and her flowers. Her most treasured were her black iris’. Very few of these remain but if you dare try to spot one just look directly behind Bud’s Flowers and you just might see a few.
When they first moved here they bought all the buildings directly next to Baskin Robbins but sold them a few years later.
Jack passed away first on 11 Feb 1987 at the age of 64 in the Taos Holy Cross Hospital, which used to be located almost directly across the street from their home.
Deenie passed away only 5 months after her lifelong love, on 19 Jul 1987 at the age of 66. Deenie was buried with all of her love letters that Jack sent her during the war.They were married for 44 years.
Both passed away at relatively young ages, as well as their daughter Kim.
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