The Harvest
Finding the Best
by
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Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be
established. Proverbs 16:3
Introduction
Every person has a story. Mine may be of interest to you.
I was an employee of the Federal Government from 1942 to 1979, first as a member of the United States Army Air Forces and for the next thirty three years as a Veterans Administration psychologist, retiring at age 58.
My retirement goals were: Continue to serve in the community as a professional psychologist part time; increase time in Bible study; write the biography of Great Uncle Albert Jernigan. It has been said a person should begin preparation for retirement the day he/she entered the work force. My preparation for the three goals evolved over a seven year period before departing from an excellent position as Chief, Psychological Services at the Dallas VA Hospital. The 1972 discovery of Albert Jernigan’s seven 1876 letters to his parents introduced a biography project waiting to be accomplished.
In 1972 I was appointed Chairman of a joint Southwestern Medical School-Veterans Administration Committee to study the need for a drug treatment program at the Dallas VAH. One of our senior psychologists, Ralph Robinowitz, was selected as Chief of the Drug Service, and as Chief of the Psychology Service I became acquainted with drug treatment of returning Vietnam Era Veterans. These and other Veteran Administration experiences resulted in an offer for a consulting position with the Charlton Methodist Hospital Drug Treatment Program.
My wife, Jean was a secretary with the Social Security Administration in downtown Dallas in 1979. As the unemployed spouse I had a sabbatical opportunity to begin pursuing the three goals during the fading months of 1979. That fall Gayle and Jehree Bone offered a nine month Bible study course for teachers at Cliff Temple Baptist Church. Nearby Charlton Methodist Hospital prepared to open a Drug Treatment Program. I searched for additional Albert Jernigan letters and began typing the first manuscript that subsequently became the biography, Albert’s Hidden Treasure.
A fourth exciting goal was added in 1982. Jean and I returned to our rural ....
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About the Book
Jack Jernigan had three retirement goals in 1979 at age 58: to serve part time as a psychologist; to increase time in Bible study; and to write the biography of his colorful yet tragic great-uncle, Albert Jernigan. In 1982, an exciting fourth goal was added: to homestead 17 acres of land that his wife Jean had inherited from her parents, a move that marked Jack and Jean’s return to their rural roots.
Jack not only wrote and self-published Albert’s Hidden Treasure, he completed a trilogy of memoirs. Selecting the Best tells the story of his experiences in the Army Air Corps during WWII, and Seeking the Best covers his years as a psychologist with the Veterans Administration. The Harvest gives a detailed account of Jack’s retirement years, with special emphasis on his personal spiritual journey as a dedicated Christian.
About the Author
Born on a North Texas farm in 1921, Jack Jernigan always made his parents proud and was a lifelong friend to his two brothers. He graduated from college in 1942, enlisted in the Army Air Forces that summer, and served admirably during WWII. In 1947, he married the love of his life, Jean Gibson. Jack got a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Kentucky while Jean got a Masters in education. They raised three fine children - Beth, Austin and Richard.
When Jack became a psychologist in 1951, he could have gone into private practice, which would have been very lucrative. Out of loyalty to his country, he went to work for the Veterans Administration. Jack Jernigan was a pioneer in the field of psychology and helped an untold number of veterans from WWII, Korea and Vietnam improve their lives. He was highly respected by his colleagues and served as President of the Texas Psychological Association in 1973.
Most of all, Jack was a man of faith. In the Introduction to The Harvest, he wrote, "I begin this chronicle by searching the question: Is God first in my life?" By asking that humble question, and by most of what he did, thought and said in his 86 years, he served the Lord very well.
Jack Jernigan passed away quietly on March 9, 2008, soon after completing the third volume of his memoirs. His mind was sharp and his spirit was bright to the end. Finishing The Harvest was one of Jack's final acts of love.