Marcia Jackson

Marcia Janice Jackson - Wife, Sister, Mother, Grandmother, and friend, back-scratcher, joke-teller, chocolate-lover, and accomplished musician decided to sleep in on Friday, January 13th, 2017 until Jesus calls her name on Resurrection Day. Marcia began her time on this earth on November 23rd, 1947 in Washington, D.C. as Bernice Magruder. She was adopted by her wonderful parents - Charles Richard and Bernice Mae French. She was also blessed with an older brother - Norman French - who tolerated this much younger sister as any teenage boy would. There may have been times when she tried to sneak food off of his dinner plate - only to be halted by the stab of a dinner fork! She also remembered sneaking down the hallway to hide behind the living room recliner with him on Sunday nights and catch a glimpse or two of Gun-Smoke as it wasn't "viewing suitable for children". Norman now lives in Portland, Tennessee. Even at a young age she was perfecting her visiting skills - for anyone who would listen! She always loved to visit with anyone ready for the challenge. She also enjoyed a great game of hide-n-seek. This probably explains the need for the ever stylish harness which her parents bestowed upon her whenever they left the house to be certain they would still have her with them when they returned home. Despite her strong-willed tendencies (which skip a generation and are now being carried on by her grand-daughter Emily) she enjoyed her school years at Helen Hyatt Elementary in Lincoln, NE. Reading, roller skating, and the "crack" of a wooden bat while playing ball were some of her favorite things. Summers meant time with grandparents in Florida, enjoying the beach, collecting shells, or sneaking Hershey's bars with her favorite Grandpa Mathe while riding with him in his truck. The sneaking rarely worked - as there may have been telltale remnants of chocolate on faces and in clothing pockets... Her high-school years were spent at Platte Valley Academy in Shelton, NE. Time with friends and prank-playing filled her days there. (Prank playing actually passes directly to the next generation and will be carried on by her daughter Stephanie). She loved to tell of the time she and friends were kind enough to make a large batch of brownies to be shared with the boys in the boy's dormitory. The brownies may have had a special ingredient added - perhaps you've heard of Ex-Lax? For some curious reason the boys kept leaving the evening worship meeting with a sense of urgency - while the girls tried to stifle their own laughter. Marcia married the love of her life - James Lee Jackson - on June 29, 1969. Their many happy years were accomplished with a mutual understanding and much patience which allowed the entertainer in her to thrive! The earlier years were filled with work and adventures with friends camping, boating, and four-wheeling. Be sure to ask Jim about the time she was kind enough to adorn his fingernails with polish while he slept - which wasn't noticed until he was back at work. A baby girl - Stephanie - joined them in February 1971. Marcia didn't work for much longer outside of the home as she had a tendency to use her whole paycheck (if not more) on "necessities" for their baby girl. Marcia loved being a stay at home Mom and excelled at it. So much so that when the time came for Stephanie to attend Kindergarten - the teacher (Chandis Martin) may have informed Marcia to head home as she was the only parent remaining with the students after a portion of the day had passed. She was always on the ready with classroom treats, goodies or field trip driving as needed. Before much time passed she was asked to help care for children who needed someone on their side. This transitioned into she and Jim caring for foster children for many years - opening their hearts and home to more than 50. This was a difficult job and only for the courageous and strong of heart - of which she was both. As a result of this choice our family was blessed with Zack (1980) and Scott (1991) - both of them are still a part of our family today. During her time here with us - she took her fashion clues from no-one. She was most comfortable in the most colorful, most eye-catching things. This may explain her love of fun prints (barn animals not excluded), crazy shoes, memorable hats, and a new purse as frequently as possible. This may also explain the clown costume she has and was always happy to share by wearing to schools, hospitals, or the children's home at every opportunity. She had a life-long love affair with chocolate, boiled peanuts, Mounds bars, crushed ice (which she even wrote a recipe for at Stephanie's Bridal Shower - to pass on the tradition), Haggen-Daas Ice Cream Bars, Bernice French's Peanut Roast, and Fri-Chick. She excelled at parenting, meeting new people, joke & story telling, piano & organ playing, crowing like a rooster at Albertsons, singing, scratching strangers backs, rescuing and adopting pets, making friends, sharing Jesus, making people feel welcome, beating cancer four times since 1992, and sharing all she had with those in need. She believed her son-in-law - John- could do no wrong and could answer any question asked. She also took great pride in her grandchildren - Matthew (16) and Emily (12) Forsell. She never hesitated to spend time with them. They loved it when she would pick them up from school - as that meant a trip to Wendy's, followed by shopping for a treasure of some sort. She was so happy when the three of them were baptized together last year. The family asks that in honor of Marcia you perform random acts of kindness every chance you get as this is the way she lived her life. In closing - a quote which she loved - "Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Mounds bar in one hand, Pepsi in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "Woo-Hoo What a Ride!".

Service

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 2:00pm

Oregon Trail Veterans Cemetery

Curtis Street

Evansville, Wyoming 82636