After nearly 50 years of service to the town of Sallis, longtime mayor Jack Ables is retiring.
In 1972, he was elected to the board of aldermen. Seventeen years later, he was elected mayor and he has served in that role ever since. His life’s dedication to the town was fueled by his heart of servanthood.
Born in Sallis on July, 24 1937, Ables grew up in Sallis and in the Boyette Crossing community. He originally started school in Sallis, then attended Boyette School for a stint before returning to Sallis High School. After high school, he joined the military.
In 1956, Ables joined the Air Navy where he served for four years as a control tower operator. He spent one of those years on Midway Island, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean nearly 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu.
Ables married his loving wife Shirley on April 20, 1958. After his time in the Navy, the couple lived in Lexington while Jack attended Holmes Junior College in 1960-61. During this same time, he also worked at the Black Creek Charcoal Company in Lexington.
In 1965, the Ables moved to Durant. Jack began working at Airco Plastics as the office manager. The company went through many owners and name changes throughout the years. Lastly named the Greif Brothers Corporation, Ables retired from his role there in June of 2000. Greif Brothers eventually closed the Durant location that same year.
Ables and his family returned to Sallis in 1967. Five years later, he was elected an alderman. Bo Holmes was the mayor at the time and town meetings were being held in what is currently Sallis Baptist Church’s youth meeting house. At the time, it was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dallas Morgan.
In 1989, Ables’s lifelong friend and then Sallis mayor T.L. “Bud” McLellan passed away. The two went on many hunting and fishing trips together. Ables was asked to run for the mayoral office, but he humbly told people that he would not do it if he had to run against someone eager to do the job. He ran unopposed and gladly took on the position as a way to give back to his community. Meanwhile, he was still working full-time as the office manager of the plastics manufacturing plant in Durant.
Ables said his time as alderman prepared him for becoming mayor. He got hands-on experience and learned the needs of the town, so it made for a seamless transition. He also credited former city clerk and longtime Sallis resident Carolyn Floyd for being a big help to him during that time.
As mayor, he was able to clean up the town and keep it looking attractive and current. A couple months ago, Ables helped the town receive a grant to do some beautification projects downtown.
“We have been able to clean the town up and add a walking track. We just received a grant to do some downtown renovations and add some new signs and sidewalks. We have gotten grants prior to this, but they have usually been for our streets. Most of our streets used to be gravel and we got all of those paved,” he said.
Another way Ables has given back to the community is through his love for cutting grass. Even at 83 years old, Ables enjoys cutting his yard and the yards of others such as widows who may not be able to on their own. He also always has a vegetable garden where he has shared its abundance with church members, family, friends, and neighbors throughout the years.
“My wife thinks I'm crazy for it, but I love to cut grass. I get to cut grass or bush hog and not worry about much. I just relax,” he said.
Ables' daughter, Jackie, said her father is detail-oriented and that his duties exceeded the usual responsibilities of a mayor.
“Daddy is very detail-oriented. He has kept up with records, regulatory filings, and health department certifications along with handling the payroll and paying the bills. He has done it all besides what Melissa Roberts has done with the water office,” she said.
City Clerk Melissa Roberts was credited by Ables as being a great aide to him throughout his tenure.
“She has been a lifesaver. She was always there and got everything in good shape. We worked together where I’d help her, and she’d help me. We just got it done,” said Ables.
During his time as mayor, he said he worked with great groups of aldermen who were punctual and wanted to serve. In fact, he said that there was rarely an argument and people were rarely late or absent.
“You hear of some towns having big arguments. We were always in agreement before we left there. Really, the only irritating moments would sometimes come from an irate water customer telling us why we should give them credit,” he said.
Now, the main challenge Sallis faces is managing money allotted to the town during the pandemic. Ables said he wants the town to spend it right and on time.
As former alderman Brent Busbea takes the reins of the mayoral office, Ables is confident his replacement will excel. But Ables will be around if needed.
“I'll help him in any way I can. I said when they were being sworn in that they were being sworn in to do the duty, but I was swearing that I wouldn't interfere with them,” he joked.
He said he could not have served all these years without the help and support of his wife of 63 years, Shirley Aldy Ables. She has always been right there beside him attending events, meetings, or helping in any way she could. Over the years, meals or other family events were interrupted by phone calls from citizens or those having water problems, but Shirley never complained. She understood these problems were important to those individuals and that they needed assistance now rather than later. This attitude reflects her life of kindness, caring, and community service.
Recently, Ables was honored at a retirement reception at Sallis Baptist Church. Ables and his family said they want the townspeople and aldermen know how much their attendance meant to him along with their kind comments.
Jack Ables, second from right with his children, Ronnie Ables and Jackie Turner, as well as his wife, Shirley.
Landon Gibson / The Star-Herald
Besides his work as alderman and mayor, Ables has also been a dedicated member of Sallis Baptist Church where he has served as deacon, Sunday school director, treasurer, member of the Wednesday night cooking team, and member of the pastor search committee. For many years, he would even go to the church early on Sunday mornings to turn on the air conditioning or heat.
Other accomplishments during Ables’ career include being president-elect of Jaycee’s in Lexington before moving, treasurer for all existing years of the Sallis Riding Club, treasurer for the Sallis cemetery where he performed needed maintenance for many years, and board member for Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital (now Baptist Memorial Hospital). For the past three years, he has served on the North Central Planning and Development Council on Aging. He has also been an active member of the North Central Planning and Development Mayor’s Association since its inception in 2016.
John Wiggers of North Central Planning and Development listens to a speaker along with Jack Ables.
Landon Gibson / The Star-Herald
Ables is the father of Ronnie Ables of Kosciusko and Jackie Turner of Sallis. Ronnie and his wife, Suzanne, blessed Ables with grandchildren Corey (Alyssa) Ables, and Kristen (Brandon) Stevens. Jackie and her husband, Tim, blessed Ables with grandchildren Griffin, Shelby, and Lindsey Turner. Through Corey and Alyssa, Ables has his first great-grandchild, Lily Ables.
He also has four brothers, Jerry, Larry, Paul, and Arthur Jr.
“Daddy set an example for us of always doing the right thing no matter what the situation was and treating people how they wanted to be treated,” said Ronnie Ables.
Leaving behind a legacy of hard work, compassion, and commitment to excellence, Ables is looking forward to retirement. Specifically, he plans to continue cutting grass, being involved with his church, and spending time with his family. Ables said their family plans on taking some trips together soon.
“I appreciate the opportunity I had to serve and just trust that it might be in better shape than it was when I got there,” said Ables.
