On this episode of the 1836 Podcast, we will hear from Zelma Hudson Jones. Zelma was born on January 26, 1925, and faced early hardships as her mother passed away when she was just 6 months old. Raised by her loving grandparents, Pate and Tennessee Wilkerson, Zelma affectionately called them “mommy and poppy.” Her journey began in the township of Turkey, in Marion County Arkansas, where she was born at home. Later, she moved to Peel and resided near the White River. Transportation in her early years meant either walking or riding a horse, reflecting the resilience and resourcefulness that defined her life. During the summer, she and her family swam and bathed in the White River, before it was the Bull Shoals lake. She started her education at the Peel school before continuing her studies at the School of the Ozarks, where she eventually graduated. Growing up, she lived without electricity until her college years, and she holds the distinction of being believed to be the longest living graduate from the School of the Ozarks. Zelma went on to become a dedicated teacher near St. Louis, serving in the education field for an impressive 38 years until her retirement in 1986.
This is her story…
