Written by Ben Cox– BrownwoodNews.com would like to offer a “tip of our cap” to a selection of women in town that have made a positive impact on the lives of those around them. Whether by profession, or pastime, these community leaders contribute a rich part to the fabric of Brownwood, and we feel they deserve to have their time in the spot light. We present to you, The Leading Ladies of Brownwood. This week’s leading lady is: Jeanette Chesser.

 

I sat down with Jeanette and asked her our list of questions that each Leading Lady will be asked, with a few off the cuff questions specifically for her, and here are her responses.

What is your current profession/What do you do?

I’m retired from teaching school for 32 years. I taught nine years in Brownwood, starving to death. My husband and I both taught. So we left for Odessa for the green. For 23 years we stayed out there, and he became a principal, until he had some heart trouble and we had to move back.

What clubs or organizations are you a member of locally?

Let’s see, I am a member of the retired teachers, a member of Central United Methodist, I am the coordinator for Meals on Wheels. I’m the one they call to get with them, I make a home visit to see if they really need us (they usually do), I do all the lists, we have four routes here in town and one in Early. That’s a constant change, to try to keep them even. I type up a list each week, and take them to the hospital who prepares our meals for us. We have 11 churches who deliver for us, about once every two months for us. They deliver Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Also the Corrine T Smith animal center. I love animals, but I can’t go out there and work. I would ask them ‘who’s got their time up’, and then I’d take ‘em home with me! Wal-Mart said they don’t have anybody to deliver dented cans and damaged sacks, so I go every Friday and every Tuesday to pick them up and deliver them.

And for a long time I worked for the Red Cross as a  Disaster Responder Captain, but I kinda aged out of that. Because all those are always at midnight! And my niece who is my closest relative now, said she didn’t like the idea of me being out on these country roads in the middle of the night, and I had to agree with her. So I trained a bunch of people to take my place and I retired!

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

Here in Brownwood. Grew up here, went to school here, went to Howard Payne. Went one semester to what was then TSCW, now it’s TWU in Denton, didn’t like it. I was madly in love with a local boy and came home and got my degree in Howard Payne. I graduated High School in ’56, Howard Payne in ’59.

You did that quick!

I did, I got through in three years. I wouldn’t suggest that for anybody, but I wanted to get out and start makin’ money, and do my thing!

What kind of family do you have around you?

My mother and Dad have passed away, my younger sister passed away three years ago, so I am the Matriarch of my whole family, on both sides. I have no children, I have nieces and nephews I’m very close to, on both sides.

I was at a family reunion and one of my young nieces, they were asking her when are you gonna have children? I said to her ‘It’s much more fun to be an aunt! Play with ‘em, and send ‘em home!

What are some of your fondest memories of growing up in Brownwood?

The lake, always loved the lake. As soon as Donald and I got married we bought a boat. My Mother and Daddy nearly died! We had no house, we were renting a horrible old apartment, paying on a car, and we bought a boat. (laughs) To go to the lake in! But I loved the lake.

Of course I enjoyed going to school too. High school was in what is now the Family Services Center. That was fun, but I was one of these people that wanted to be independent, so I wanted to grow up soon and get out!  And I did! I don’t do anything that I don’t have fun at. If I can’t have fun, I don’t do it. Which is why I’m such a happy person now!

Who left a lasting impression upon you that still is with you today?

My Mother and Daddy, for sure. I never saw either one of them angry, ya know really mad mad mad. I’m sure they got mad, but we never saw it. Daddy was a rancher, and I did see him once or twice get mad at a cow, but never at us.

I had a great Aunt and great Uncle who had no children and they took my sister and I everywhere, and they made a VERY lasting impression me. And then I had an English teacher in Junior High. By the time I got to Junior High I was pretty sure I wanted to be a teacher, but she just locked it up for me. She was such a lady. Junior High English, Mrs Fombey, she was a fabulous lady.

What do you hope your legacy will be?

Let me tell you, I’ve already written my obituary. While I was in Howard Payne, one of my psychology professors said to ‘write your obituary now, and live up to it.’ Well I did that, to a certain extent. I was thinking the other day, I made Jana my niece promise me this will be at the end of my obituary. ‘She was a loving, happy, flamboyant lady, who loved and loved deeply. She loved Jesus Christ, her lifetime mate Donald, she loved all animals, all children, and most people.’ (laughs) And that’s the way I want ‘em to remember me.

Which is why I wear all this jewelry! I noticed about midlife that people don’t notice older people. They might look at ‘em, but they don’t pay attention to ‘em. And I thought No no no, they’re not gonna ignore me! They might laugh at me, but they’re not gonna ignore me!

What is 1 lesson that you would like your nieces and nephews to take with them and make part of their life?

First, is to love and have a good time. Because people sometimes look at me and think ‘ah, she’s never had any problems’. I have, but I just always decided hey, I gotta live this life, so I’m gonna enjoy it. And I know I’m gonna go to the right place because I love God and he loves me, he’s gonna take care of me. So, why worry. Took me a long time to learn that. I used to think ‘I know, God, that you’re gonna take care of this, but let me tell ya, you need to do it THIS way.’ But It took about 76 years for me to learn that! I’d like them to remember that, and to stay busy and help people.

How has living in Brownwood shaped your life?

For one thing, it’s made me more of a server because it’s needed in Brownwood. There’s not enough people that want to volunteer. Or they think they wanna volunteer until you try to get them to and then they wont commit to doing it. Brownwood being a smaller town, you get more opportunities to do it. It’s a part of me and I’m a part of it. Loved Odessa, loved teaching there, but this is home.

If you could speak to yourself as a High School freshman, what would you say to yourself?

Stop and think before you talk. I was not like my Mother and Daddy, I showed anger, many times! I think I would tell myself live your life like you want to do, and have a good time.

What is one goal for yourself/family that you haven’t achieved yet?

I really don’t think there’s any! I’ve done everything I wanted to do. There’s some places I haven’t travelled, but I’m working on that. I’ve done pretty much like I wanted to do. I’d rather have had my husband live a little longer, but that didn’t happen. I’m doing just exactly what I want to do. I learned early in life, if you can’t do exactly what you want, make yourself believe you wanna do what you’re gonna do.

How do you feel you have impacted Brownwood?

Well, with the Meals on Wheels I definitely have. I’m afraid when I can’t do this, who’s going to. I worry about that.

When I go to Wal-Mart and I smile at people, that kind of impacts people, maybe makes people feel a little better for a little while. Just in little ways, I’m not a great big important person.

Growing up I was very shy, you’re not gonna believe that. My mother put me in everything to get me out of that shyness, and about seventh grade I became “Me”. And she said ‘what a mistake I made, put her back in the can!’ (laughs)

When I see something that needs to be done, I try to do it, if I can.

What is one thing you’d like to see for the future of Brownwood?

I would like to see it maybe grow a little more, but not a lot. I don’t think Brownwood oughta ever be a great big town. Because it’ll lose so much of it’s personality. It’s a small home town, and that’s what it should stay, I think.

Get a few more stores like Hobby Lobby!

I think Brownwood’s pretty good. I kinda like it the way it is.

What makes you proud to live in Brownwood?

That it is a caring city. It tries to take care of people. We have people here who aren’t being taken care of, there will always be that. Like with the Home Solutions coming in, we try to take care of people, and a lot of places don’t do that. I like that about Brownwood. It’s a friendly town.

What does it mean to you to be considered one of the “Leading Ladies of Brownwood?”

Oh, I am shocked because there are so many more people who do so much more than I do. And I’m very honored, but I was shocked, I thought ‘no, not me.’

I hope maybe by looking at what I’ve done that will encourage someone else to do a little more than they’re doing.