Jerry Allen Herndon -- College Professor

 

Jerry Allen Herndon

Jerry Allen Herndon was born on January 9, 1939, in Trigg County, Kentucky, the second of eight children born to Robert Vernon Herndon and Mary Frances Sholar Herndon.  His father was a school teacher and guidance counselor with the Trigg County school system and his mother worked as a nurse’s aide.  His siblings were Robert Hayden Herndon, born in 1936; Kay Carol Herndon, born in 1941; Donald Wayne Herndon, born in 1943; Sandra Faye Herndon, born in 1946; James Dwight Herndon, born in 1954; Joy Anita Herndon, born 1955; and Nick Anthony Herndon, born in 1960.

Jerry grew up in California, Texas and Kentucky and graduated from Trigg County High School in Cadiz, Kentucky in 1958. He went on to attend Murray State University where he majored in History and English and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1962.  He was awarded a Fellowship in English at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina where he earned a Master of Arts Degree in 1964 and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in 1966.

On June 1, 1960, Jerry married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Annette Allen, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  Patricia was born September 4, 1941 in Hopkinsville, the daughter of Dennie and Imogene Calhoun Allen.  Jerry and Patricia were the parents of seven children, Rose Lee, born in 1961; Joel Allen, born in 1963; Jay Evers, born in 1966; Joanna Renae, born in 1969; Melanie Ann, born and died in 1969; Victoria Frances, born in 1974; and Susan Joy, born in 1973.

Jerry began his academic career by doing both his student teaching, and his first year of professional employment, at Trigg County High School, before teaching in the universities as adjunct, assistant, and tenured full professor. He taught for three years at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.  He then returned to his alma mater, Murray State University where he taught English Composition and American Literature for 31 years before his retirement.  While at Murray State, Jerry helped to organize the Jesse Stuart Collection of Manuscripts, Correspondence, and other materials for the Forrest C. Pogue Library Special Collections.  Jesse Stuart was a noted author and poet whose stories relied heavily on the rural locale of Kentucky for his writings and had been the Poet Laureate of Kentucky.

Jerry was an editor of manuscripts for the Jesse Stuart Foundation and was the author of several books on American Literature.  After his retirement from the university, Jerry worked for 21 years as an associate for the sporting goods department in Walmart before retiring a second time in 2018.

Jerry died on January 8, 2022 at a hospital in Lehi, Utah, one day before his 83rd birthday.  Patricia, his wife of 61 year was at his side.  He was buried in the Redwood Memorial Cemetery in West Jordan, Utah, next to the grave of his young daughter who had died in 1969.

LINEAGE: (Jerry Allen Herndon was the son of Robert Vernon and Mary Frances Sholar Herndon.  Frances was the fourth child of Jesse Smoot and Anna Rosella Choate Sholar.  Jesse was the first child of Drewry and Rosetta Olive Grigsby Sholar.  Drewry was the child of William Bridges and Mary Hutt Sholar.  William was the fourth child of Allen and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Jemima was the first child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)