Jack
Griffin Desmond (1915-2003)
Jack
Desmond was born on 2 October 1915 to Frank
Griffin Desmond and Lucile
Heiskell.
 
Jack (standing) about 8 years old with
his brother (seated left)
Jack
(about 10), James and Jane.
James and sister (seated right) Jane.
The above photographs were taken at the Desmond Ranch, which was
located at the intersection of Avenue 19 and the Santa Fe Railroad
tracks, near the present-day Country Club Golf Course on Road
26.
From left to right: James, Jane, Jack, Wallace Emmert. Standing:
Wallace's brother, Francis Emmert. Taken about 1922 on a flat-bed
railroad
car at Sugar Pine Lumber Company in the foothills of the Sierra
Nevada.
 
Jack at 17 years old: Madera High School Graduating Class of
1933. Jack
at 80 years old.
In high school, he was a member of the Boys Federation.
In 1939, at the age of 24, Jack followed in his father's footsteps,
and started grain farming. He married Nelle Justice in 1944, and
produced two sons, Timothy Justice and Gregory
Heiskell, and a daughter, Deborah Nelle.
During the early 1960s, Jack shifted his focus to cattle ranching.
Jack pictured at the Heiskell Ranch, as the cattle were brought
to the weighing scales.
 
1994. Jack and Nelle at their 50th wedding anniversary 1992.
Jack and Nelle, the King and Queen of the Old Timers Day Parade
In recognition of Jack's long service as a school board member,
Madera Unified School District named the Jack
G. Desmond Middle School in his memory.
Obituary: Transcribed from the Madera Tribune:
5/17/2003
Mr. Jack Griffin Desmond, age 87, a native and life resident
of Madera passed away on Friday May 16th, 2003 in a Madera
Hospital. He was a retired grain farmer and was currently
a cattle rancher, grower, packer and shipper of fresh vegetables.
As a young man he was a Boy Scout and attended the Jamboree
at Valley Forge in 1930 and later became an Eagle Scout
under Scout Master Keith Emmert**.
He graduated from Madera High School in 1933 and attended
two years at Fresno State College. He was a member of the
Madera Rotary Club and was a co-founder of the Madera 20-30
Club, along with Minnie Taylor. In 1992, he and his wife
were honored by being elected the Old Timers Day King and
Queen. He served on the school board for the Madera Union
High through its transition to Madera Unified School District,
for a total of 17 years.
Burial Notice: Madera Tribune: 5/20/2003
MR. JACK DESMOND
Madera CA
Date of Birth: October 2, 1915
Date of Death: May 16, 2003
Date/Time/Place of Service:
Funeral services will be held on:
Tuesday, May 20, 2003, 2:00 pm at
Jay Chapel, Madera, CA
Burial to follow at: Arbor Vitae Cemetery
1301 Roberts Avenue, Madera CA
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, May
20, 2003 from 8:00 AM-2:00 PM
at Jay Chapel, Madera CA
**older brother of Francis
and Wallace pictured above.
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Nelle
Justice Desmond was born on 3 August 1924 in Leoma, Tennessee.
Her parents Willis Elmer (born 4 March 1896; died in Madera on
23 Jun 1946) and Winona Gladys Justice (born 15 Jun 1895; died
in Madera 29 Mar 1977) were natives of Alabama. They were married
about 1910/1911. The 1930 US Census shows Nelle living on a farm
at 15 Peach Avenue, Fresno, along with her parents and her two
older sisters, Florene (White) and Zoe (Todd). Nelle graduated
from Madera High School in 1942.
Winona Justice: obituary: Madera Tribune 3/30/1977.
Nell Justice: obituary: Madera Tribune 1/17/2006 and
1/18/2006.
Left to right: Timothy Justice
Desmond ; Gregory Heiskell Desmond and Deborah Nelle Desmond Boyea
taken August 2008.
Gregory Heiskell Desmond riding the range on the
Heiskell
Ranch, Madera.
Taken 16 April 1995
Photogaphs courtesy of Gregory Heiskell Desmond.
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