A Celebration of Life

Descendant of Levy County Pioneer Family Celebrates 90 Years of Life.

Jack Wilkinson of Chiefland will celebrate his 90th birthday on Sunday, August 24th. Wilkinson, who dedicated half of his life to teaching math and a little science at Chiefland High School, attended the same school when he was a student. In a recent interview, Mr. Wilkinson recalled his early life and some of the events which marked growing up in Levy County.

In the fall of 1919, a young Jack Wilkinson set off down the path from the family farm in Levyville to attend the Union School, a neighborhood school. Typical of the schools of that time, the Union School was one large room containing grades one through eight. The school had a stage across one end and on Sundays the building was used by the Church of Christ. Wilkinson remembered several of his teachers * Mr. Sam Shephard, Lester Smith, and a Miss Williams. Classes were conducted for six months out of the year.

When he was not attending school, Wilkinson did chores around the family farm and swim in Blue Springs and several different swimming holes in the Waccasassa River. One of the crops grown on the Wilkinson farm was cotton. After the cotton was picked, it was taken to the cotton gin in Trenton to be ginned.

Wilkinson also remembers the spring round up of the cattle that had been turned out into the woods.

In 1928, Wilkinson entered the ninth grade at Chiefland High School. His transportation back and forth to school from Levyville was a Model "T" Ford. "I don`t believe you needed a drivers license back then," recalled Wilkinson.

In the fall of 1935, Wilkinson entered the University of Florida and after two years received a teaching certificate. At the time he entered the University, there were 4,000 students enrolled at the college. He returned to Levy County and taught math, his favorite subject, at Chiefland High School and finished his education by going to summer school, graduating in 1946. "I went into teaching because I enjoyed being with people and kids and I could teach and stay on the farm," said Wilkinson.

Wilkinson was proud of the fact that on November 8, 1930, he attended the first football game played at "The Swamp" in Gainesville. Back then the stadium seated 20,000 people and those who attended watched the "Gators" lose to Alabama 20 to 0.

Discussing politics was a favorite past time in Levy County. Not involved in politics himself, Wilkinson said he would listen to the public talk, mostly at church but also at the grocery store, the barber shop, and the feed store, and then figure out how to vote. When it was election time, all the talk would be about the candidates. "If you got into politics, everyone got to know your family`s history," quipped Wilkinson.

As a young man growing up during the Great Depression, Wilkinson gained much respect for President Franklin Roosevelt and feels that Roosevelt was our country`s greatest president. "Roosevelt made sure the people were taken care of. He created jobs and because of him, we got electricity on the farm in 1940. That sure was a change from studying and reading by kerosene lamp."

Wilkinson was born to Thomas J. and Lydia A. (Hatcher) Wilkinson and is a descendant of Joseph and Charlotte Ann (Hatcher) Wilkinson, the pioneer family who moved to Levy County in the 1840s. A reception to celebrate his 90th birthday will be held at the Chiefland Elementary School Cafeteria on Saturday, August 23rd from 2:30 PM until 5:00 PM. All family, friends, former students, and co-workers are invited to attend.

Jack Wilkinson stands beside the home in Levyville where he was born 90 years ago. (Photo by John A. Causey)