Four generations, one passion | 71-year-old cheerleader jacket serves as family heirloom

Family heirlooms are treasures that are passed down from generation to generation, but it's not just a monetary value that makes them special — it’s the stories behind them.

Pecan Plantation resident Melba Beavers, 88, put her majorette and cheerleader jackets in storage more than 70 years ago.

Upon learning that her 13-year-old great-granddaughter Kennedy Kathryn (KK) Malone was selected as a cheerleader at her junior high in Edmond, Oklahoma, Beavers decided to take her Irving High School cheerleading jacket from 1948-1950 out of storage and gift it to Malone.

“Now that I have Alzheimer's and am 88 years old, I don't expect to be here much longer, so I think it's time to pass my jackets on to my beautiful great-granddaughters,” Beavers said.

“I feel really honored and special to wear my great-grandmother's cheer jacket because I have this bond with her over cheerleading even though we are 75 years apart!” she stated via email. “I am a 4th generation cheerleader. I love carrying on this tradition in our family, and her jacket is an amazing piece of history I cherish!"

Along with Melba and her husband Jay, other relatives of Malone who live in Pecan Plantation include grandmother Laura Raadt, aunt Vadonna Motley and cousin Donna Jackson.