Kirbyville's Jerry Nobles Turns Eighty Years Young

Growing up in the Kirbyville area, I got to know lots of interesting people. One of the most interesting was a man who later would be my mentor. Many people in the Kirbyville community know Jerry Nobles as the owner and operator of Jerry's Family Pharmacy which was located in downtown Kirbyville. Over the years, Mr. Jerry has worn many hats. Over his lifetime, he has been a serviceman, a pharmacist, a school board member, a city councilman, mayor, Sunday school teacher and author of two books. His father was killed in a tragic horse and wagon accident when Mr. Jerry was 12 years old, leaving 11 children in the Noble's household. Soon after the death of his father, he went to work at the Kirbyville Post Office as a special delivery boy and earned 50 cents for every letter he hand delivered. He worked in the afternoons after school trying to help his mother make ends meet but never lost sight of his dream of finishing school and becoming a pharmacist someday after working in the old Wood's Drugstore during his high school days. He knew he would need the G.I. Bill to get his college education but had to wait a couple of years before joining the Navy because he was too young.

Mr. Jerry was a practical joker and one of his funniest escapades would be the infamous "Kirbyville Squirrel Festival." It all started one day at the drug store when he wrote an anonymous letter to the editor of the Kirbyville newspaper, suggesting in detail why Kirbyville should have a "Squirrel Festival." The joke became so popular that Mr. Jerry had a picture of a squirrel on all of his pharmacy labels and local radio personality Gordon Baxter would refer to Mr. Nobles as the chairman of the "Kirbyville Squirrel Festival" on his radio program.

Mr. Jerry retired a couple of years ago but has many accomplishments under his belt and this month he turned 80 years young. I just wanted everyone to know what this man meant to me growing up as a kid and thank him for his advise and guidance over the years. Happy Birthday, Mr. Jerry and may you have many more.

Bob