Festival 2003

By Joyce Woods Cox
October 8, 2005
A Moody native with direct ties to the only operating cotton gin in McLennan County will serve as grand marshal for the Cotton Harvest Festival. Cora Lee Hatter Jones will lead the festival parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, 2005 in downtown Moody on Avenue E. Born and raised in Moody, she is the daughter of the late Logan and Eunice Hatter. A 1943 Moody graduate, she attended a business school in Austin for one year. During her summer months of the college years, she worked in the payroll department of the Bluebonnet Ordnance Plant in McGregor for 43 cents an hour. In 1948 she received her degree from Baylor University and taught for 22 years, mostly in Moody. She married Mike Jones in 1950. They had three daughters, Helen, Virginia and Ruth. Mike's grandfather, also named Mike Jones, brought his family to Moody in 1895 from Middleberg, Ky., and built the cotton gin at its present location. where only round bales were made. Upon Mike's death in 1928, his son Ernest Jones took his place and later Charles Howard, Sr., became a partner. When Ernest was diagnosed with cancer in 1951, Mike became a partner and continued to operate the gin with his dad until his dad's death in 1961. After 1961, Mike and his mother owned and operated the gin. Cora Lee worked in the gin office whenever she was needed. She was always interested in cotton farming and the ginning business. The Jones Gin was sold to Bert and Beans Vandiver in October, 1973. Cora Lee is a faithful member of the First Baptist Church. She has taught children in Sunday school and has served on many committees. She has been instrumental in helping children attend camp, and has gone as a counselor on several occasions. She has also assisted those going on mission trips. Cora Lee retired from teaching in 1992 and immediately began working to start a library in our community. Even before retiring, in 1989 she secured one book shelf from Dr. Swede Erlund, Elementary Principal and a few donated books. She used one corner of the present building which was then the Moody SLAP Center in the Chamber of Commerce Building. For some 16 years, Cora Lee has worked tirelessly as a volunteer. She has attended many workshops to become a certified librarian. The Moody Community Library has grown and now is housed in two buildings with more than 10,000 books and several computer. Also she was very excited when president Debbie Dowell and the library board was offered the opportunity to return The Moody Courier printing press back to its home in Moody from the Moody Depot Museum in Temple. She is proud of this museum area in the front part of the larger room and eager to direct visitors of all ages to view things of Moody's past. Also in this section of the library are old Moody Couriers and a few items from Dr. E.R. McCauleys office donated by the family of his nurse, Mrs. Minnie Barbay. The library is a real asset to Moody and the surrounding communities. She enjoys meeting people in town and always encourages them to use the library and get a library card. Cora Lee was a classroom teacher, and she especially loved to teach reading. In later years she worked with the Migrant Program and the English Second Language (ESL) Program in the Moody School system. She spent many evenings visiting the homes of students and listening to them read. She has also assisted adults who needed help to learn the English language. Cora Lee is great to visit people in times of need, taking food to the sick, and taking people to the doctor or hospital. She loves her family and especially her six grandchildren, Lauren and Jenny Davis, Amy Wendt, David, Charles and Mike Haigood. It gives her great joy to take them on vacation trips and to do special things for them. Cora Lee still enjoys working with children who come to the library for extra help and who need to improve their reading skills. She always encourages them to do their best so they can have a better life. Cora Lee wants to thank all the volunteers who have made Moody Community Library what it is today. Without them, there would be no library. Her goal is to see the library grow and continue to serve the Moody Community. Cora Lee wants to thank the Moody Cotton Harvest Festival Committee for honoring her as Grand Marshal for the 2005 Festival.

Grand Marshal, Cora Lee Hatter Jones

Mayor Mike Alton presents Cotton Harvest Festival plaque to Grand Marshal Cora Lee Jones.

Parade Grand Prize winner: Moody Boy Scout Pack 425.

1st Place winner: Caswell Country Child Care
2nd Place winner: Moody Stars Baseball Association
3rd Place: Moody Church of Christ
Honorable Mention: Moody Leon Methodist Church.