1983 - Jackie Twisdale

Interviewed by Liisa Ogburn on May 2, 2013

Jackie Twisdale and her husband Rusty moved into 318 Oakwood Avenue in 1983.

Soon after we moved in, Valle brought us an Oakwood cookbook and invited us to attend the Oakwood Garden Club. Rusty and I walked over that night and we knocked on the door and they proceeded to tell us in a very nice way that men were not invited to the Garden Club so he left and I went in. There were about 25 women there. They had on hats, white gloves, and they were drinking tea from China. I had on my sweat clothes and my tennis shoes because I was working in the Athletic office for the city. I wondered how these fragile women worked, but it didn’t take me long to learn that they knew how to raise money. They had contacts and they could get things done.

… My fondest memories? It all goes back to the people, and watching what they do with their houses, watching their families grow up and leave and come back.