December 17, 1896 – February 10, 1964
Wife: Tressa
Children: Henry Dean, Margaret Brown Reed, Kathleen Lindsley Sewell, David Anderson
Mr. Waters was born on a farm in the Greenwood community of Wilson county. He was the sixth of nine children born to Edgar and Kate Lindsley Waters. Greenwood Farm, as it was known, was given to Henry’s great, great - grandfather as a Revolutionary War Land Grant in the 1790’s.
Henry was instrumental in establishing the dairy industry not only in Wilson County, but throughout the state and nation. He was one of the pioneer Jersey breeders, and imported the foundation of his registered herd from the Isle of Jersey. Through his efforts great progress was made in the dairy industry which led to the sale of milk becoming the county’s leading income producing industry.
He was President of the Tennessee Jersey Breeders Association and a director of the American Jersey Cattle Club. He was a charter member of the Wilson County Farm Bureau and served in several official positions. He was a director of the Middle Tennessee Production Credit Association and a member of the original Wilson County committee of the Farmers’ Home Administration and served as the chairman of the county Agricultural Extension Service committee.
In 1918 he organized the Wilson County Dairy Improvement Association for which he served as secretary-treasurer for many years. During this time, Wilson was the only county south of the Mason-Dixon line that could furnish the U.S. Department of Agriculture complete records on sires, dams, and daughters. He was baptized in Spring Creek and was an elder at Bethel Church of Christ.
In 1932 the Waters family had the highest testing Jersey herd in America regardless of the size of the herd. For twelve years the herd was the highest producing of its size. Henry and his wife, Tressa, were ambassadors for the Jersey breed. They spoke at local, state and national forums on the importance of the dairy industry. Their Jersey cows and bulls were successful in the show ring and provided the basis for many other herds. Tressa was named one of 50 leading rural club workers in the nation in 1940. Perhaps their favorite community work involved 4-H and FFA students. They were great supporters of these organizations and donated breeding stock for these young people to raise and show. From 1922 to 1934 Henry served a junior dairy leader for Wilson County. Most of this time there was no county agent. In 1929 his group of young dairymen won first place in the National Dairy Show.
In 1919 under his leadership the county 4-H group won first place in the State Fair Production Show and the National Dairy Show. It is likely that he helped more Wilson County farmers get started in the dairy business with assistance in many ways, than any other individual.
