Mary Louise Burks Jackson was born on June 5, 1930, in Corsicana to Sarah Thelma Curry and James Louis Burks. She was their only child.
During her childhood, the family lived in several towns, including Roane and Corsicana. When Mary was 12 years old, they settled in Mankin, and she began attending school in Malakoff. She graduated from MHS in 1947 and began attending Texas Women’s University in Denton. In 1950, she married Walter Louis Jackson. For the next 20-plus years, she was a full-time wife and mother to their four children. In her 40s, Mary decided to complete the education that had been interrupted when she married. She received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Texas Eastern University (now UT Tyler) in 1977 in the same month that her first grandchild was born. Mary taught at Malakoff Elementary School for all 25 years of her career. After a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease, she ascended to heaven on Aug. 26, 2013. Mary was a devout Christian and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Athens. She dearly loved her seven grandchildren. During her teaching career, she cared as much for her students’ well-being as for their education.
Mary is survived by her husband of 63 years, Walter Louis Jackson; her children, Janice Cason of Malakoff; Walter L. Jr. (Bubba) & wife Nancy Jackson of Malakoff; Joan and husband Dana Mark Wilson of Arlington, Texas; and James and wife Christi Jackson of Malakoff; seven grandchildren, Alan Cason, Derek Jackson, Lauren and Ryan Wilson, and Haley, Lindsey, and Wesley Jackson; and four great-grandchildren, Bryce and Alex Cason, and Brady and Toby Jackson.
Visitation will be at Huckabee-Tomlinson Funeral Home in Malakoff on Wednesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m., and funeral services will be held on Thursday, Aug. 29, at 2 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in Athens.
The family would like to extend a special invitation to all of Mrs. Jackson’s former students to attend. They also wish to express their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of West Place Nursing Home and Heart to Heart Hospice for their loving care.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association