Don Jaquess (D-TX-6)

Don Jaquess Congressional Candidate Texas District 6

Campaign links: Don Jaquess (D-TX-6)

Donald Max “Don” Jaquess

Biography from Don Jaquess For Congress

I was born in Littlefield Texas in 1946. I was the sixth of nine children. We were sharecroppers. We were dirt poor but proud. My uncle Pud leased us his 1700 acres east of Denver City. All three of the oldest brothers were driving their own tractor before we were nine. Everything out there was either poisonous or had thorns on it. We moved to the east side of Arlington. My dad’s cousin owned a chain of drive in restaurants and dad managed two of them. Later dad bought out the restaurant at the Ranchers Inn off I-30 in Ft. Worth. I went to Technical High in Fort Worth. My principal was Green B. Trimble. He started technical high schools in the entire country. It was on the North side of Ft. Worth. They later received Paschals’ old school, Paschal got a new one. It was renamed after Trimble in 67’. I went into the Ironworkers in 1964 between my junior and senior year, in Local 264 as an apprentice. I joined the Air Force In Nov. 65′. I got out 3 years 3 months and 29 days later after receiving injuries in the Vietnam war. When I got out of service in 69’ my brother offered me a job hanging Iron in Illinois. I received my journeyman’s book out of Local 17, Cleveland Ohio in 1969. I worked all over the country and part of the world. I finally settled in Overland Park, Kansas. I had been taking extension courses and wanted to get my GI bill in. I fell over fifty feet in 1977. I was in a wheel chair for 6 months and off work for 14 months. I had several accidents. Ironwork use to pay well but it was dangerous. I retired from ironwork in 1990 when a three thousand pound scissor lift lost its breaks and collapsed on me. I went through a series of back surgeries and had a chip out of one of my neck vertebraes so I was retired. Since then I have had two successful businesses in Arlington.

I have three grown children, and two step children, 11 grandchildren and 3 great -grandchildren. My wife Barbara was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November of 2006. They removed it in January of 2007 and gave her 90 days to live. She became a diabetic and fought hard to control her sugar. She passed in May of this year. She had a lot of drive. She had more operations and I don’t know how many times she went into diabetic coma. I never left her side. We went on two cruises. She saw her youngest grandson be delivered, went to the Gulf shores with her daughter and her kids. She also went to Florida and back with her father. She was with me in 2008 at the state election when we nominated Obama. We both went together as delegates in 2010.

I was a Vietnam vet. I am now a lifetime member of the DAV and a member of the American Legion. I was a member of the Lions club from 70’ to 74’. I was on the Democratic Cause committee for the South Fillmore District in IL in 1971. I coached bowling for King Louis West from 78’ to 82’ and worked for the Special Olympics from79’ to 81’. I was on the board of director for the American Bowling Congress from 78’ to 82’. Was one of six to represent them in the National Conference in 82’. Opened the Randol Mill café in 94’ sold it after Barbara and I married. She owned Goodtimes, it was a sports bar. We put both of them up for sell the restaurant sold in six days. The sports bar we sold in 2002. We won or received 104 awards and plaques of championships. We set 4 world BCA records in the process. It was and still is the strongest any club has done in billiards history. We won the state steel dart championship the same year.

I have been told all the things I could not do. And by myself they are right. I have done it all with teamwork. One man cannot do anything without the trust and support of others.

How I am going to defeat Joe Barton. This country has been picking on a bone with no meat for 30 years. My wife challenged me to do something that has been a dream of mine since I was a child in West Texas. When you have nothing but time and that turns into 4 years I have come up with a project that will nourish the entire Midwestern part of this country. We have about two billion acres of prime land that has never been farmed. It will avert disasters in 10 major cities at the same time. It will also put everyone back to work and will be making money before it is finished. I call it my vision. It is going to be like everything else in my life. I did it with team work. I have never been able to do anything without your help. Share my dream and we can rebuild American together.