Barbara Richards Jackson

On June 23, 2009, our precious wife and mother, Barbara R. Jackson, passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus. She was greeted by her Mother and Daddy, whom she dearly loved and had deeply missed since they left this earth. After 6 weeks of battling lymphoma, it was her decision to return home and wait for the Lord to send His angels to escort her to her eternal home. She received her promised reward for living a life of service to others and glorifying Him. Her last day was filled with her favorite old hymns being sung to her, a visit with her dearest friend, Peggy, and many other visits and calls from friends and family who loved and cared for her. At the time of her death, she was surrounded by her entire family, who circled her bed in prayer, thanking God for her life and the example she was to each of us.

On October 7, 1935, in San Augustine, Texas, Bill and Syble Richards welcomed their firstborn; a 9 lb, curly red-headed baby girl they named Barbara Ann. She was the apple of her daddy's eye, and Syble loved being a mother and dressing her up. As a young child, the family moved to Port Arthur, Texas where she attended school and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1954, the home of the Yellowjackets. She attended all her class reunions until last year.

On December 28, 1953, she married Harold Jackson, also of Port Arthur, while he was serving in the U.S. Army at Ft. Bliss. They had met on an arranged blind date, and he was so taken with her, he vowed, "I'm going to marry that girl!" So, while on her Christmas break during her senior year in High School, Babs (her nickname) and Harold eloped while he was home on leave. This became the talk of the town, especially at Barbara's church, where all agreed they couldn't believe she had "up and done something like that"! When she returned to school after the holidays, the counselor called her to the office, and she was kicked out of the Future Homemakers Club, because she was now "officially" a homemaker. Her father, Bill, was not too happy about giving up his little Babs. But the thing that made it easier for Harold to tell Bill they had run off and gotten married, was the fact that Bill and Syble had done the same thing!

Barbara's parents preceded her in death, and she leaves behind Harold,her husband of 55 years; four daughters, Deborah Pearson, Sharon Galvan (David), Judith Wegman (Charles) and Amy Jackson; 6 grandchildren, Brent Kaul (Lindsay), Brian Kaul (Janine), Rachael Jones (Doug), Rebecca Manganiello, Taylor Muckelroy, and Sofie Chupin (the latest redhead in the family); and 4 great-grandchildren, Jacob and Jordan Jones, Ryan Manganiello, and Walker Kaul. Also surviving Barbara is her younger brother, William Michael Richards (Cynthia) of Sugar Land, TX. She adored him, and especially loved engaging him in political conversations.

Nothing made Barbara happier than being around her family and cooking for them. Except for the past several months, she had everyone over after church on Sundays for lunch, establishing a tradition of what the family calls, "Sunday lunch". If it was your birthday, you were allowed to plan the menu. Since all the men of the family loved her chicken-fried steak, that was served several times a year.

Barbara loved her Lord and the church. Over the years she taught Sunday school, worked in different ministries, and her Banana Pudding was "most requested dessert" at every potluck dinner! She also loved Ronald Reagan and being a true conservative in the greatest sense. In fact, we believe the only thing that could ever disappoint Barbara about heaven is if God doesn't build her house right next to the Gipper's. She worked in numerous local, county, and state-wide election campaigns, and at one time served the Republican Party as the Executive Director in Austin, Texas. She was elected as a delegate and attended numerous State Conventions and 3 National Conventions. She loved politics and being able to make a difference.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks those desiring to make a charitable donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.