Santa Fe Living Treasures – Elder Stories

His father was a farmer who owned a livery stable and worked as a United States marshal. He was also an organizer. "I got my ability to organize from him. I learned a lot about how to work with people from him," Jay said. While growing up, Jay rode horseback until his father "bought the first automobile that came to town."

When Jay was six, his mother sat him down and said, "Now Jay, I want you to make up your mind on what you really want to do with the rest of your life," Jay said. He wanted to be a minister, he told her, and he wanted to have a healing school.

In 1928, Jay went to Houston and studied for four years at the Dr. DePalma School of Naturopathy. While in Houston, he was ordained as a minister after completing studies at Glad Tidings in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. He later went to England to the Bainbridge Forrest School of Naturopathy, where he received degrees in naturopathy, botanic medicine, and philosophy.