Elsie Jackie Gander came into the world screaming and kicking on Jan 3, 1910.  There was a huge snow storm and no telephones when Mother went into labor. Harve started to walk into Cherry Box to get Dr. Gerard. "Aunt Mandy" came to be with Mother.  She brought me into the world.  I immediately had two claims to fame!.  I weighed 12 pounds on Dr. Gerard's scale, and I was the first birth to be recorded in Shelby County!  Laws had just been passed requiring registration of births, beginning Jan 1, 1910. I always felt a deep affection for "Aunt Mandy" Henderson. 

Photo and commentary courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo and commentary courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Cliff Gander. 

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo and commentary courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo and commentary courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo and commentary courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Charles James Coon, b. Aug 16, 1900 at Hillrose Colo.  In 1918 he started college at New Mexico State College in Las Cruces.  During the flu epidemic of 1918 he became very ill and had to drop out of college.  His parents sold the ranch and moved to Manhattan, Kansas where Charles J. enrolled in the college of Veterinary Medicine, specializing in bacteriology, and the diseases of poultry.  Upon graduation, he taught at Virginia Polytech College in Blacksburg, VA later returning to Kansas State to do research in the field of poultry diseases.  He became recognized nationally in this field.  Everyone called him "Doc".

Photo and commentary courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

In 1930 Charles James met the little lady in the Western Union office. They were married in 1931, during the worst years of the Great Depression.  This picture was taken in Neenah, Wisconsin.  I was taking advantage of some photographer's special, two poses for X number of dollars.  It was bitterly cold that day.  We walked into the studio and started to remove our wraps.  The photographer said "NO, NO, I want one pose just as you are!"  The second pose was taken, minus the coats and hats.  Strangely, we looked like two sour pusses in the second pose!  "Doc" left us on Aug 2, 1956 after a long bout of cancer. 

Photo and commentary courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Cliff and Josephine Gander.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo and commentary courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Cliff and Josephine Gander. 

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Cliff and Josephine Gander.  

A snapshot of Charles Harvey Coon and Vivien Grubb, with Vivien's sister Margaret and brother, Charles Grubb at their wedding on June 18, 1958 in Hunnewell, MO.  Charles owned a farm south of Hunnewell.  Both of them had long, successful careers in the education field, both at the high school and college level.  Now both more or less retired, live in the Grubb ancestral home in Hunnewell, where restoration of the house, and growing an enormous assortment of plants, trees an flowers uses up much of their time.  Someone once asked Charles why he picked Vivien for a wife.  His reply was "because she was the only girl I ever met who knew how to read a book!"  When a similar question was put to Vivien, she answered " because he is the only man I ever met who was smarter than I was."  They had one daughter, Charlene who now lives and works in Albuquerque. 

Photo and commentary courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo and commentary courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Read an article about Jackie Coon making a speech:  jackie_article.gif

Photo courtesy Cliff and Josephine Gander.  

Photo courtesy Cliff and Josephine Gander.  

Photo courtesy Cliff and Josephine Gander.  

Photo courtesy Cliff and Josephine Gander.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Twenty years elapsed between the time I lost "Doc" and my April 16, 1976 marriage to Roy Deets of Hershey, PA.  Much happened in my life in those 20 years.  Accepting a transfer to Tucson in the spring of 1958, leaving the little place at 917 North Spring Street in Sioux Falls, S. Dakota, to buy a house way out in the desert, way east of what was Tucson in 1958, leaving Field Enterprises in 1961 to join Encyclopedia Britannica's New Education Division. the only woman among almost 100 men, nation wide.  Arizona and New Mexico were my territory.  To cover it I did - even though I had to average driving 25,000 miles a year to do it!  I retired in 1976.  We cleared out Roy's house in Hershey, moved some things to Tucson, and "Lived happily ever after", as all good fairy tales go.  We had thirteen and a half really great years before the big "C" took him away on Nov 12,1989.  Now I live "among my souvenirs". 

Photo and commentary courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Cliff and Josephine Gander.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets. 

 Some 50 guests attended the birthday party hosted by her daughters Robin and Carol.

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.  

Photo courtesy Jackie Gander Deets.