Born on Monday, February 11, 1918 in Leolyn, Lycoming County, to Walter Lafayette and Clara Victoria (Jackson) Graham. Her paternal grandparents were Wellington (Ren) Lorenzo and Emma Almira (Dann) Graham and her maternal grandparents were Frank Leslie and Julia Anna (Spencer) Jackson. Jessie loved and cherished the time she spent with her grandparents. She was a 1936 graduate of Canton High School. On Saturday, September 14, 1940 she married, James “Jim” Clark Herman at her parents’ home in Leolyn. After 68 years marriage, Jim preceded her in death. Jessie was long-time member of the Grover Church of Christ where she taught Sunday School.
In earlier years, Jessie worked at Swayze’s Folding Box Company and nearly 20 years at Canford Manufacturing. In her community, she worked at the Grover Trading Company, Avery’s General Store, and substituted at the Grover Post Office and Grover Elementary School.
Jessie and Jim were blessed with three sons, two predeceased them;
James A. Herman died shortly after birth in 1944 and Roger C. Herman in 1989