Jessee Historical Foundation

Founded March 8, 2001

Jessee Historical Foundation, Inc.

By unanimous vote of those present at the 1st National Jessee Family Reunion, held 8/5/2000, a committee was formed and the future board members and officers appointed for a Jessee Historical Foundation. Joseph Harold Joe Jessee, Jr. was elected the acting chair, Norma McHone, acting treasurer, Garry and Elizabeth (Jessee) Taylor, publicists, and Jim Jessee and Arlene Jessee, family genealogists. Henry "Hank" Davis, Esq., assisted the committee in forming a formal non-profit corporation, and handled the legal aspects of incorporating. Nearly $1000 was raised for the Foundation at this 1st National Reunion.

Special "Thank You's" to the President, Officers, Legal Counsel, and Members of the Board for their collaborative efforts and time devoted to helping the Jessee Family establish our Foundation. There is still a lot of work to be done to increase the visibility of the Foundation and to ensure its future success. "In building, we learn by heart, and we are at heart, all cousins." We extend to all Jessees, related family members, friends, and neighbors, more "Thank Yous!"

In conjunction with the 2nd Annual Jessee Reunion, August 4, 2001, the first Jessee Historical Foundation Annual Meeting of the Membership was held at 10:30 in the morning in the Pavillion at the Russell Co. Fairgrounds (see below). All Jessees who had joined the Foundation or were simply present were invited to this meeting, and about 8-10 others looked on. The first Foundation board was in full attendance at this historic meeting. At this meeting a formal adoption of the By-Laws, and the election of Board Members and Officers was held.

Welcome New Members

The Jessee Historical Foundation, Inc. extends a welcome to new members. We need and appreciate your support by becoming a member. We hope that you will be involved in all aspects of the Foundation. The Jessee Historical Foundation, Inc. (JHF) is your organization, it needs your ideas and input! Your support and participation will help to make the JHF, Inc. a successful and rewarding Foundation.

You can be proud of what we stand for and what we plan to accomplish as we strive to fulfill some of your Jessee "dreams" and "visions" with respect to commemorating and preserving the historical evidence or our Jessee family heritage. By working together, these "dreams" and "visions" become realities and provide endless possibilities for future projects. Please see our current list of planned projects and activities below.

If you have any questions and/or need further information, please write to the Membership Secretary. Send your completed applications, see Membership Application Form on the right, to:

Jessee Historical Foundation Inc.
c/o Patricia S. Jessee, JHF Membership Secretary
3709 Apple Grove Circle
Kingsport, TN 37664-3901

Membership Requirements

  1. Regular Member:is any person with a Jessee surname (Jessee, Jesse, Jessey, Jessie) or a direct descendant of a Jessee through either their mother's or father's lineage. The regular member applicant must submit documentation of Jessee lineage. This may be a standard genealogy descendants or pedigree chart, a simple list of your Jessee lineage (as provided below). You may include copies of Bible records, birth, marriage or death certificates, anything showing your Jessee heritage. A regular member has full voting privileges.
  2. Associate Member: includes spouses, other related families, and friends. Non-voting member.
  3. Junior Member: includes children under 18 years of age. Non-voting member.

Membership is $10 per person per year, due at the Annual Reunion in June for the following year (July 1-June 30). Those 81 or older are entitled to free life membership, please inquire.

Life Memberships

Age 50-60: $200 Age 61-70: $150 Age 71-80: $100 Age 81 or older: Free

Jessee Historical Foundation Newsletter

An annual Jessee Historical Foundation Newsletter will be sent to you every spring, in advance of the Jessee Family Research Day and Reunion to be held in June each year. Please send any suggestions or comments to any of the JHF Newsletter Committee members:

J. C. Jessee
PO Box 83
Lebanon, VA 24266-0083
Vernon Salyers
Route 1, Box 97
Lebanon, VA 24266-9685

Note: The Jessee Historical Foundation Newsletter is a privilege of renewed annual membership in the JHF, and it is produced by the JHF Newsletter Committee.

The Jessee Family Newsletter, published by Jim Jessee, is a separate publication of The Jessee Geneology Service, a private business, and requires a separate annual subscription. See the Jessee Genealogy Service home page for subscription information.

Remember When … A JHF Book Project

Can you imagine the excitement you would feel if you could read a document that was written by your great-grandparents or other ancestors in their own words? We’re betting that it would make one feel really proud. That’s the logic behind the latest project of the JHF. We want you to write your stories so that your future generations of grandchildren can read about your experiences in your lifetime. We sent out letters last year requesting stories and pictures from all the cousins. Thanks to all of you who responded; but we would still like to have more. The more stories we have in the book, the better. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, just tell it in your own words. It can be a paragraph or several pages, a favorite quote or saying that has been in the family for years. Just as you enjoy sitting around telling about those things, others will enjoy reading about them. Tell us about family, pets, school days, mischief, accidents, military service,etc. To get an idea of the value of such writings, one should read, “Pioneer Recollections” by Elihu Jasper Sutherland. He spent a lifetime interviewing people and recording their memories. In this book is a story from Eliza Jane McReynolds Turner (dated Sept. 21, 1924) in which she tells of a graveyard on the E. K. Counts place where “several of the old Jessees are buried. Among them were Old John Jessee and his wife, Frankie, and his son George and his wife Elizabeth. I was at the burials of Uncle George and Aunt Elizabeth”*. To my knowledge, this is the only written account of the burial place of John & Frankie Lea Jessee. So please let this inspire you to share your stories with your Jessee cousins and future cousins.

Please take time to write it down and mail it as well as any photos you’d like to share to:
Mary Akers
19346 Oakwood Drive
Abingdon, VA 24221
or to the
JHF
c/o Patricia S. Jessee, JHF Membership Secretary
3709 Apple Grove Circle
Kingsport, TN 37664-3901

2007/08 JHF Board and Officers

2008 JHF Board Meetings

February 2, 2008 Saturday at 10 am at the Quality Inn, Abingdon, VA
May 3, 2008 Saturday at 10 am at the Quality Inn, Abingdon, VA
October 4, 2008 Saturday at 10 am, JHF Workshop at the Quality Inn, Abingdon, VA

Foundation Address

The Foundation has established a formal mailing address to which membership application, dues, and all official corporate correspondence can be directed.

Jessee Historical Foundation, Inc.
c/o Patricia S. Jessee, JHF Membership Secretary
3709 Apple Grove Circle
Kingsport, TN 37664-3901

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Jessee Historical Foundation Board 2001-2005

The following family members were elected to the the founding JHF Board of Directors, 2001-2005, and further served as officers or supportive roles indicated. We thank all of them for a solid foundation and beginning.

Founding Officers and Support Roles

You are Invited!

To the 9th annual National Jessee Family Reunion

Saturday, August 9, 2008
10am to 4pm at the Harry L. Coomes Recreation Center & Park Grounds, Abingdon,VA.
Meet Jessee family from all over the country, enjoy family arts, crafts, and entertainment. Please join us.

Past Minutes

Click Here for Membership Form

First Meeting

Second Meeting

JHF Members

Official Incorporation Document