Jessie Belle A Very Rich Woman Jessie Belle was one of the richest people I ever knew. She was not monetarily rich, in fact she had very little money all of her life. She was rich in living loving and laughing, and in her ability to share those riches with everyone around her. She loved telling me about all her adventures. She loved to dance. As a teenager, she would go to the barn dances and dance all night. She said she would dance so hard her feet were bleeding at the end of the night, and she would head right home and start her morning chores on the farm at 5:30 a.m. Dancing made her feel alive, and bleeding feet didn’t slow her down or dampen her love of adventure. She loved to ride to town in the wagon with her dad. Her mom always said, “Wear a hat Jess.” “I can’t ma, the wind wouldn’t blow in my face or through my hair the way I like it.” Jess never wore a hat. She had beautiful naturally curly auburn hair and fair skin. She had lots of sun burns growing up, and skin cancer all over her face and arms in her later life, but she said she would never have changed a thing about her life even if she had know the consequences in her early years. Jess only got to go to school through the eighth grade, because she needed to work to help make ends meet for the family. She loved school and was an avid reader all her life. Her education never stopped even though her formal classes did. She said, “I learn new things every day, and love ever minute of learning.” Jess spent lots of time both reading and sharing personal stories with our four children as they grew up. If Jess was waiting for a bus to take her on a trip, and she met little children at the station she immediately would start a conversation with them, and next thing you knew they were reciting their ABCs, or singing along with Jess and learning a new song. Whoever sat next to Jess on the bus became a dear friend before the ride was over. Jess loved to fly, travel on trains and take the bus. She met new people and learned new things with every new adventure. Author Nola