Jimmy Hugh Vail Celebrates 80th Birthday

ZACHARY — Jimmy Hugh Vail turned 80 on Jan. 13, 2013. The celebration took place at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Old Scenic Highway in Zachary.  Mr. Vail helped build the church, where he attends regularly and serves as an ordained Deacon.
Everyone was able to keep his birthday party a true surprise until he entered the crowded room of friends and family.  The tables overflowed with food, and his cake was decorated with items that represent his various interests.  There was a tractor, a dog, a corvette, and figures to represent his marriage and his four children.
Mr. Vail was born during the Great Depression on Jan. 13, 1933, in Drew, Miss.  He met Jackie Gore in St Francisville, where they attended high school, back when it was known as the old Julius Freyhan School.  They married on Sept. 25, 1951.  They have four children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.  Their love for their grandson, Daniel Vail, lives on in their hearts and memories.
After high school, Mr. Vail went on to complete five more years of training to become an electrician.  He retired in 1993 from 995 Electricians.
In the 20 years since he retired, he watched as their current home was being built in Central, where they have lived for the past 19 years.  He currently keeps busy by mowing the grass at the church, and the 14 acres surrounding their home.  In this case, he truly is “80 years young”!