Terwilliger Trust Scholarship Fund

Scholarship Sponsored by The Community Foundation of Mendocino County

In the mid 1950’s, in Laytonville, Jack was working on a large circular saw in his mill and something unexpected occurred, electrically, and the saw severed his left arm at the shoulder. He was rushed to Howard Memorial in Willits and Dr. Babcock, a famous doctor, sewed up his shoulder and saved his life, but this had a great effect on their sawmill business. In order to take up the slack, at this time, Ruby got involved with selling Studio Girl Cosmetics, a large, national Company and to everyone’s amazement, little Ruby became the # 1 sales lady in the entire U.S.A., and she not only made a lot of money, she won trips to Paris and other exotic places. Only Ruby could set a record for anything in…Laytonville.

Before and after the accident, Jack always had a lot of interests, which included flying airplanes and he had filed for quite a few claims on jade mines. He had claims in Mendocino, Humbolt and Trinity counties. So, in the late 1950’s, Jack and Ruby decided to move to Fresno and they bought a home there and they got involved in a number of businesses. One thing they did was create their own cosmetic line…”Ja-Ru,” was the name and they took the first two letters from “Jack” and the first two letters from “Ruby,” and that’s how they came up with the name. I’ll never forget watching Jack make a batch of cosmetics. He’d do it on the kitchen table and he’d put some of this and some of that in a bowl and then he’d get the electric mixer and mix it all up and believe it or not, he made some of the best cosmetics this way. I think they sold “Ja-Ru” for about ten years. Jack and Ruby also started a Lapidary Arts store, just across the street from their home and they ran this business for over forty years. Fact is, they got involved with so many things that you didn’tknow what you’d see the next time you visited. He bought a press, for instance, to print his monthly booklet called the “DopStick,” which went out to all of the Lapidary Arts club members, that he put together. No End. Jack was also a poet, a philosopher and an inventor. See the attached poem, “The Forever Generation.”

For some fifty years, there was a sign that was posted high on the wall behind Jack’s desk in his home…Yes, it was “Ain’t Noth’n, etc.” The reason this is such a wonderful title for a scholarship, is that if you have dreams to go out and do something…you need to know that you shouldn’t sit on your hands or stand around and wait for something to occur, because things just don’t “happen” that way. Good luck, with your scholarship pursuits and your education and now, “Go out and Get ‘Em!”

Jack and Ruby Terwilliger are buried side by side in the cemetery in Albany, Ky., Ruby’s home town.

Eligibility Criteria

• Location/School: Laytonville High School
• GPA Requirement: Weighted 3.0 or higher
• Financial Need: No
• Requirements: Potential for academic success and involvement in community service
• Special Requirements: Completion of GRIT scale