Elma Jackson

Elma Viola Jackson 85, was called home by the Lord on February 26, 2018 in the caring embrace of her

family and the staff of Good Shephard Hospice and Asbury Park Greenhouse in Newton. Elma Viola

Jackson was born February 9, 1933 in Newton, Kansas to proud parents Ora Vergil and Ethel Mae

(LaGree) Lough. She was a twin to Elva Leota Esau born February 8. She grew up in a Christian home

and the age of 9, gave her life to the Lord Jesus and was baptized at the First Baptist Church in Newton.

She graduated from Newton High School in 1951 and was a member of the National Honor Society.

During her teen years, she was active in Youth Fellowship at both the First Baptist and the Evangelical

United Brethren churches in Newton. At the E.U.B. church she met her life mate, Robert Louis Jackson

(Bob). They were married June 10, 1951 in a double wedding ceremony with her twin sister at the

E.U.B. Church. To this union were born 3 sons and 3 daughters. After many loving and happy memories,

tragic events caused a divorce after 36 years of marriage. Elma relied on the Lord for her support and

needs in the years that followed and always remained friends with Bob. God’s grace is always sufficient

for every earthly need. She always believed that friendship and the togetherness of family, no matter

what the situation, was important. Her life occupations were wife and mother, 9 years as a pharmacy

clerk at Wilson Drug Store and 2 years at United Methodist Youthville as a house parent. Her avocation

was a wedding and all occasion cake decorator. She was a past member of the “Evening Crumbs”,

“Sugar Bells”, “Cake Arts Club” (all cake decorator clubs), and the International Cake Exploration Society.

She had been an active member in the First Baptist Church and the Salem United Methodist Church in

Newton, Central Community Church in Wichita, Wanamaker Woods Nazarene Church in Topeka and

Palmyra Baptist Church of Benton, KS. It was her belief that all Christian faiths are one family in the eyes

of God. Her interests were reading, piano, organizing memorabilia (putting together more than 60

albums), traveling, and visiting museums and art galleries. What she loved to do best was creative

cooking and entertaining family and friends, painting, knitting, crocheting, quilting and other crafts. She

loved flowers and loved to garden when she was able. Writing book length letters to family and friends

was a passion. She completed a spiritual autobiography of her life for her children titled Color Me

Complicated. A personal and life changing event was a trip to Israel in 1997 where she was baptized in

the River Jordan. She also was a past member of The Carriage Factory Gallery, Kansas Artist’s Guild, Tri-W and Sunset Gals E.H.U. groups, and was a past president of a T.O.P.S Club. While living near Towanda,

she was an active participant in the Towanda and Benton Senior Centers activities. In December 2001,

she joined the “Red Hot Hatters”, a Wichita Red Hat society group and remained active in the group for

nearly 16 years. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ora & Ethel Lough, sister Elva Esau, sons M.

Scott Jackson and Darrell Dean Jackson, daughter Nancy E. Wells, grandchild Jennifer Roach and greatgrandchild

Christopher Arrowsmith. She is survived by her children Carol (Kenneth) Drake of Towanda,

Randy Jackson, Beverly(William) Roach all of Newton, 12 grandchildren, 2 step grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, 6 step great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Elma’s life will be 1:00 p.m., Monday, March 5, 2018 at Salem United Methodist Church in Newton, Kansas with Pastor Norman Tillotson presiding.  Visitation will be 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday March 4, 2018 at Petersen Funeral Home with the family receiving friends from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the funeral home.  Private family interment will be in the Pleasant Hill cemetery near Perth, Kansas.

Memorials are suggested to the Asbury Park “Care Club” in care of Petersen Funeral Home.