Wilkerson, John and Ruth, 1859-2014 and undated

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10605/362536

Creator: Wilkerson, Ruth

Title: John and Ruth Wilkerson Collection

Date(s): 1859-2014 and undated

Collection #: S 1886.1

Language: English

Biographical Sketch

Ruth Wilkerson was born in Houston, Texas. She attended and graduated Lamar High School and Baylor University. She taught school for a year before focusing on raising her family and volunteering in various organizations. John Wilkerson was born in Lubbock, Texas, on December 18, 1934. A lifelong Lubbock resident, John graduated from Lubbock High School in 1953 and from Baylor University in 1957. John assumed leadership of Wilkerson Cold Storage Co. in 1956 and remained Chairman of the company until his death on August 28, 2021. John served as Chairman of the Board of City Development, the Lubbock County Appraisal District, and the Civil Service Commission. John and Ruth married on June 21, 1958. They spent the next 63 years together in Lubbock, where their family grew to include four children. They were actively involved in serving their church, schools, and community. Ray Hankins Wilkerson, also documented in the collection, was born August 8, 1964, the son of John Gordon Wilkerson, Jr., and Ruth Mary Collins Wilkerson. He graduated from Coronado High School in Lubbock and later Baylor University. He worked at the Wilkerson Storage Company until his death on October 28, 2010. He was married to Tina Nicole Mann.

Scope and Contents

The Collection consists of correspondence from and to various members of the Wilkerson family of Lubbock, Texas. Some of the authors include John Gordon Wilkerson, Sr., "Gordon"; Cleo Hankins Wilkerson; John Gordon Wilkerson, Jr., "John"; Howard Wilkerson; Mary Ruth Wilkerson Grady; and Jeanie Hankins. The letters contain information about the family and describe vacations, business, and daily events.

Accruals to the collection in 2022 consist of correspondence, telegrams, postcards, commencement announcements, receipts, and obituaries and newspaper clippings. Some booklets, printed material, one hardcover book titled “Record of the Rust family” by Higginson, and genealogy material dating back into the 17th century are also present, alongside handwritten notes/drawings, and other documents from various family members of the Wilkerson family of Lubbock, Texas. The letters were written from and addressed to include the following family members: John Gordon Wilkerson, Sr., “Gordon,” Cleo Hankins Wilkerson, John Gordon Wilkerson, Jr., “John”, Howard Wilkerson, Mary Ruth Wilkerson Grady, Jeanie Hankins, Ella N. Davis, and Ruth Ella Davis. The letters contain information about the family and describe vacations, business, college life, lifestyle, social trends, and daily events.

Restrictions

Open for Research

Related Material

For related materials in the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, see the following collections:

++John Gordon Wilkerson, Jr., oral history interview [abstract, sound recording], December 15, 2020.

++John Gordon Wilkerson, Jr., oral history interview [abstract, sound recording], December 22, 2020.

++Ruth Wilkerson oral history interview [abstract, sound recording], June 14, 2022.

++Ruth Wilkerson oral history interview [abstract, sound recording], June 21, 2022.

++Lou Diekemper oral history interview [transcript, sound recording], October 7, 2015.

Preferred Citation

John and Ruth Wilkerson Collection, 1859-2014 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

Accession Information