CELEBRATIONS
Ku Klux Klan meetings,”
Joe said. “They needed to
know if I had any identifying
24
marks on my body
so that in case something
happened, they’d be
able to identify me. They
also wanted me to know
they had someone on the
inside, and if something
was about to happen, they
would be notified.”
With the sheriff’s permission,
Idlette Jr. started
carrying a weapon during
his daily commutes to Patrick
Air Force Base, but he
never had to use it. Indian
Granddaughter LaVonne is a member
River County’s schools
of the Florida Bar and works in Miami.
were integrated in 1969,
mostly without incident.
Besides serving on the school board, Idlette Jr. became a
local business owner. He developed the Hillcrest Grocery in
Gifford and bought 160 acres of pine woods, which became a
productive citrus grove near Oslo Road.
The Idlettes have three sons and three daughters, 10
grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. All of the
children graduated from Vero Beach High School, went to
college and found good jobs. Joe III is retired from the city of
Vero Beach; Jennifer is transportation director for the school
district; Jody is principal of Sebastian Middle School; Keith is >>
IDLETTE FAMILY PHOTOS
On Christmas Day in 1953, Bernice and Joe Idlette Jr. were married at Mount
Zion AME Church in Gifford.
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