Newspaper, Profile of Jesse Vincent Moffett, Jr. and Evelyn Swazey Moffett,
LaSalle Parish La.




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Copied by: Pat Ezell PatEzell@worldnet.att.net
Submitted by: Kathy LeMay Kelly, P.O. Box 219, Trout, La. 71371
From the Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 1999, Section
A, Page 8 
Thank You to the Times -Signal for allowing the following to be added to the
Archives. 
A Times-Signal Feature...."Citizen Profile" A Very Special Salute 
Don't try to tell this week's Citizen Profile couple there is any place better
than LaSalle Parish - You'll never be able to convince them.
Jesse "Jess" Vincent Moffett, Jr. and his wife of 56 years, Evelyn Swazey
Moffett, both were born and raised in LaSalle Parish and are certain it is the
greatest place on earth.
"We've traveled all over the world since I retired and we wouldn't recommend
any place other than LaSalle Parish to raise children," stated Mr. Jess.
"LaSalle is a good place to live and it is filled with many good people. It is
just the ideal place to bring up a family."
He was born on February 15, 1921, to J.V. Moffett, Sr. and Vertie Sandiferd
Moffett. While the family moved several times while he was growing up, they
never strayed too far from Jena and thus never left LaSalle Parish.
Mrs. Evelyn, born on October 18, 1922, to I.O. Swazey and Annie Womack Swazey,
was born and raised in the same house in Nebo, also never leaving LaSalle
Parish.
J.V. Moffett, Sr., had many occupations while Mr. Jess was growing up,
including driving a taxi in Jena during the early days. He was also was a game
warden, trained dogs, and when he was 83 yrs. old, opened a gun shop in Nebo
and operated it for 10 years.
Mr. Jess' mother was a school teacher and could remember every single student
she ever taught.
On Mrs. Evelyn's side, both of her parents were in education. In fact, her
grandmother was a school teacher, her parents were teachers, she was a
teacher, both of her sisters were teachers, and today the tradition continues
as her granddaughter, Melissa Lee, is also a teacher.
Her father, I.O. Swazey, was principal at the Nebo School for several years
and he also operated a general store in Nebo which served as the post office.
This meant that he was also the postmaster of Nebo.
Mrs. Evelyn lived in the same house just West of the Nebo school for all of
her life until she married Mr. Jess in 1943. That old home place can still be
seen today, however not in Nebo. The house she grew up in was moved several
years ago and now sits next to J.J.'s Restaurant on Highway 8.
As stated before, Mr. Jess grew up mostly around the Jena area. He started
school at the age of 5 at Hailey High School, which used to be located south
of Jena off of La. Hwy. 127. He next attended Jena Elementary and then the
family moved to Tullos for three years and he attended school there. They
moved again, this time back to Jena, and shortly thereafter, they moved south
of Nebo to the Magnolia community, where he attended Magnolia Elementary
School.
For his 8th, 9th, and 10th grade years, he attended school at Nebo and then
graduated from high school in 1937 from Jena. He was 16 years old upon
graduation.
The next three years of his life he spend rodeoing. "During this time, the
Great Depression was still going on and there were not many jobs around," Mr.
Jess recalled, "so I started rodeoing and did pretty good."
He competed in the steer riding (bull riding), bareback bronc riding, and
saddle bronc riding. "I was only 16 but they did not have high school rodeoing
like they do today, so I had to compete with the big boys," he added.
After his rodeoing days, Mr. Jess started college at La. Tech in the school of
engineering. He completed one year of studies when he ran out of money. It was
then that he had his first introduction into the oil industry as he went to
work with Hunt Oil.
A year later, he returned to college, but only completed a semester, when the
"military called."
In 1942, he enlisted in the United States Navy and began his basic training in
San Diego, California.
"During basic training, they gave us an aptitude test to see what we were
suited for," he said. "I scored high in engineering so they assigned me to
Hemphill Diesel School in Los Angeles, California." Of the 150 students in the
school, Mr. Jess graduated second in his class, and thus was advanced four
ranks and sent on to yet another school.
This time he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and upon graduation, he was advanced
another rank and was assigned to the Naval vessel, the LST 177, as Chief
Engineer. While serving as Chief Engineer of the LST 177, they were dispatched
to the Mediterranean Sea and were part of the Anzio Beach Head, or the
invasion of Southern France.
In 1943, Mr. Jess took a short leave from his Navy duties and returned to Nebo
to marry the girl next door, Mrs. Evelyn. When he got back with his crew, he
learned that the man who had taken his place during the time he was gone had
been killed in the line of duty. Even today, some 56 years later, he still
cannot talk of the event, and it is Mrs. Evelyn who tells the story of God
miraculously saving her husband's life. 
When the "A" bomb was dropped which ended the war, Moffett's ship was
outfitting a Navy yard in Norfolk, Virginia.
During all this time, Mrs. Evelyn also had graduated high school in Nebo and
then completed college, and was continuing the family tradition by becoming a
school teacher herself.
When Mr. Jess was honorably discharged from the Navy as a Chief Petty Officer,
he returned to the two things he loved, his wife and LaSalle Parish.
"Hunt allowed me to return to work for them after the war, so we moved into a
two room house beside the Hunt-Nebo Office," he said. "Evelyn quit teaching to
stay home, and raise three fine boys."
He started out with Hunt just like many others had over the years, doing what
ever they had open, mostly field work.
"I've worked in many various capacities, from working in the field, to working
in the office, then a gang pushing job, then assistant superintendent, and
eventually I worked up as a superintendent," he said.
At one time, Mr. Jess was over all of Hunt's operations in Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and parts of Florida. In 1983, he passed the
state exam for engineering certification and thus became a Certified Petroleum
Engineer.
"I didn't get it on a grandfather clause either," he said. "It was a hard
test, but a fair test. If you didn't pass it you didn't need to be an engineer
anyway."
During this time, the Moffett's raised three boys: Charles Moffett, who
married Patricia Springier. They live in Jena and have one girl and one
grandchild. Jesse D. Moffett, who married Sandra Flowers. They live in
Arlington, Texas and have two sons. Tommy Moffett, who married Mary
Breithaupt. They live in Nebo and also have two sons.
If you note, all of the Moffett's brides, including Mrs. Evelyn, are from this
parish. As Mr. Jess puts it, "You can't beat LaSalle Parish girls!"
All three of their sons have worked or are currently working for Hunt. Mr.
Jess retired from Hunt in 1986 at the age of 65, with 45 1/2 years with the
company. Charles just recently retired from the oil company.
All combined, the Moffett's have over 120 years of service to Hunt, which many
be some type of record in the company's history.
Since retirement, Mr. Jess and his bride have had the opportunity to travel
extensively throughout the world, including most of Europe, Russia, Egypt,
Alaska, and the most special trip to them, the Holy Land.
The Moffett's are still active in the same church they have been members of
for many years, Nebo Baptist Church. Both were saved at a young age and their
faith in Christ has endured them throughout their 56 years of marriage.
"Both of our parents were active in the church and they set the example," said
Mrs. Evelyn. "We were raised up in church and we raised our children up in
church as well."
Speaking of raising children in church, the Moffett's also encouraged parents
to set the example, just as their parents had for them.
"More emphasis should be put on family oriented time together," Mrs. Evelyn
said. "Parents should instill in their kids the basic moral and spiritual
qualities at an early age."
Mr. Jess added: "Parents should give their children wholesome instruction and
example leadership - I really see less guidance to the younger people than
what used to be."
"Children that we have today are more advanced in knowledge than we were," he
continued, "but they are not taught responsibility; therefore, some don't turn
out right. But the majority are very good."
The Moffett's noted that differences in America today and of when they grew up
is as night and day.
"It is just a whole different world now," Mr. Jess said. "Things that were
luxuries to past generations seem like necessities to present generations."
They also encouraged parents to remain together, rather than succumb to the
common resolution to today in divorce. "Marriage is a pretty important
agreement and should be taken very serious," Mr. Jess said. "It's supposed to
be a lasting agreement."
He also said that husbands and wives should be prepared to work together and
specifically during disagreements. "Be willing to work out your differences
because they are certainly going to come up," he said. "In disagreements, a
joint 50-50 will not work. Both parties have to be able to give 75 percent."
He also encouraged newlyweds to not get into debt, otherwise they will be
arguing over money before long. 
"Life for us has been good," Mr. Jess commented. "We don't have any
complaints. People have treated us wonderful and I just hope we have returned
the favor."
He is known as the God-fearing, compassionate and considerate man and she is
known as a friendly, loving mother and a very considerate individual.
Both are known for their caring ways, their love and devotion for each other,
and their love and concern for their many friends in the parish they call "the
greatest place on earth."
We salute this week's Citizen Profile, Jess and Evelyn Moffett, and the
contributions they have made to LaSalle Parish.