Pilcher ~ Nall Family
By elaine Bay

 

Jessie Darlene Pilcher Nall

Jessie Darlene Pilcher Nall was born at the home place in the community of County Line on October 29, 1923.  The nearest town was Collinsville. 

Ten children were born to General Robertson “Bud” Pilcher and Jessie Dee Brown. 
The children are:
Ethel Mae Pilcher Baker
Vita Lignum Pilcher Tinsley (Husb - James Paul Tinsley)
Leota Amanda Pilcher Ballinger
Lewis Robertson Pilcher (Wife-Avis Bruce)
Luther William Pilcher (Wife- Elsie P. Robinson)
David Oliver “D.O.” Pilcher (Wife- Alberta M.)
General Ralph Pilcher
Mackie Fern Pilcher Thomas
Julia Lee Pilcher Barre
Jessie Darlene Pilcher Nall (This Page) Her paternal grandparents were Lewis Robertson Pilcher & Nannie Henry Ingram. 
View Photograph of the Family of Lewis & Nannie Pilcher & their home.
Her maternal grandparents were David Oliver Brown and Amanda Graham.

Darlene and Julia, the last children born to this large Pilcher family, were given names at birth by their father; he called Julia “Jack” and Darlene “J.D.”  When each girl reached the age of about 18 months, their mother said, “Bud, it’s about time we named this girl.”  So “Jack” was named Julia Lee and “J.D.” was named Jessie Darlene.  However, their father continued to call them “Jack” and “J.D.”  The immediate family called our mother “Darlene” but at about 60 years of age, she decided she wanted to use her first name and her mother’s name.
This family of 12 lived in a 3-room house; they raised all of their food on the farm.  Every fall Darlene walked a mile to and from the one-room County Line School.  Each week, she wore one dress three days and the other dress two days.  The also got one pair of high top shoes that had to last the entire school year.  When the shoe soles had holes worn in them, cardboard was cut and fitted into the bottom of the shoe to last a little longer.  When the shoes completely wore out, it was time to go barefoot regardless of the weather.  Darlene carried her lunch in a maple syrup bucket which was usually a homemade biscuit and sausage.  One of Darlene’s childhood memories was of her mother raising turkey.  At the end of the day, she and her mother would walk the woods to find and drive home the turkeys to roost.
Recess was swinging on a rope, playing tag, or “Red Rover Come Over”.  When there were not enough boys to make up a baseball team, Darlene was always chosen to play on the team. 
She played guard on the girls’ Collinsville High School basketball team for four years.  “For the first time in the Collinsville High School history, the girls’ basketball team won the class A, B, and C championship by defeating Van Alstyne in a two-game series.  Darlene also played on the championship softball team while at Collinsville High School.  In the 10th grade, she was voted “Best All-Around Girl”.  She continued her high school education at Collinsville High School and graduated Salutatorian of the Class of 1941.  She was also voted “Best Girl Athlete” in her senior year.
(Read clippings found in her memorabilia about her class and school)
 

William Clem Nall

She received enough money to attend Draughon’s Business School in Dallas, Texas, for one year.   William Clem Nall and Darlene were married in Dallas, Texas on June 16, 1945 after he was discharged from the United States Army Air Corps.  They had twin daughters, Mary Elaine and Patricia Ann.  While her daughters were growing up, Darlene stayed at home.  She was an excellent seamstress and made all of the girls’ clothing until they were about ten years old.  A blue-checked dress with a gathered skirt, Peter Pan collar, and a tie at the waist she made when the girls were about five years old hangs in the closet ‘til this day. Mrs. Nall was an exceptional cook, the kind that measured with a handful of this and a pinch of that.  We enjoyed meals of fried chicken, fresh green beans, real mashed potatoes with real butter, white gravy made from scratch and homemade biscuits.  Darlene always made her own pie crust which was rolled very thin and came out of the oven flaky.  She never used a store bought pie crust.  Other things she enjoyed were reading politics and going to church.

Darlene started working outside the home in the early 1960’s and was always employed in the clerical field.  Her last job was as an admitting clerk at the old McKinney hospital (North Texas Medical Center). 
She and her family moved from Garland to Pilot Point, Texas, in 1968, where she lived for 35 years until Alzheimers began to take its toll on her.  She became a resident of Autumn Leaves Alzheimers Home, McKinney, in July 2006, where she was living she died.
 

Obituary of Jessie Darlene Pilcher Nall  Published in The Herald Democrat on 10/8/2009  Jessie Darlene Pilcher Nall died Oct. 6, 2009, a rainy morning just short of her 86th birthday. She was born at the family farm on the rainy night of Oct. 29, 1923, her father having to ride his horse to town to get the doctor. She was the youngest child of 10 born to General Robertson "Bud" Pilcher and Jessie Dee Brown. The family of 12 lived in a 3-room house in the County Line community, which was on the Grayson and Cooke County line.  Darlene attended grade school at County Line school. She graduated from Collinsville High School as Salutatorian of the Class of 1942, having been voted "Most Athletic" by her classmates.  She moved to Dallas to attend Draughon's Business School. After World War II she married William Clem Nall; they had twin daughters. The family moved to Pilot Point in 1968, where Darlene lived for 35 years.  Darlene is survived by her daughters, Elaine Bay and Patricia Nall; five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and one sister, Fern Thomas. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Ethel Mae Baker, Vita Lignum Tinsley, Leota Amanda Ballinger, Lewis Robertson Pilcher, Luther William Pilcher, David Oliver Pilcher, General Ralph Pilcher, and Julia Lee Barre.  Burial will be on Friday, Oct. 9 at the Collinsville Cemetery after a private family service. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Collinsville Cemetery Association, P. O Box 323, Collinsville, TX 76233  View Her Tombstone

From Darlene's Daughter: