Lois Jackson looks back on younger days

By Editor | January 29, 2014 |

Lois Jackson is comfortable and contented in her pleasant apartment at Brookstone Estates, where she enjoys visiting with her family and friends, reading books, going to church on Sunday and Wednesday evenings, playing games … and reflecting back on busier – but also enjoyable – times with her husband of almost 34 years, the late Ronnie “Hoss” Jackson.

They lived for 30 years in their rural home in Sefton Township, north of Brownstown.
Lois was born in St. Elmo. “My dad worked in the oilfield and we moved to down around Clay City, so I went to country schools until we moved to Brownstown.”
She finished the eighth grade and high school in Brownstown.
The Beginning of a Lasting Love Story
Lois Baughman was about 19 or 20 and working in a restaurant when she and young Ronnie “Hoss” Jackson met … and their story began.
“I met him (Hoss) at Sutton’s café, east of Brownstown on Route 40. There was a little motel in back, but I worked in the restaurant. He and his buddies used to come in the restaurant at different parts of the day and evening.
“I was almost 21 when we got married.
“Dwayne ‘Speed’ and Marilyn Dial stood up with us when we married.” They remained good friends through the years.
Working
“He worked for Tom Boone’s gas station in Vandalia when we got married. Rod, our son, was born in January 1965, and he was about 7 years old when Hoss went to work for Central Petroleum Co. He worked for them until he died in 1996.
Hoss also served as Sefton Township supervisor until his death, at which time Lois was asked to continue his term. “I was appointed to the job in May of 1996,” she said.
Lois served as township supervisor for three terms, until May 2007, when she had to be admitted to a nursing home for a foot impairment, for which now she wears braces. When admitted to the nursing home, she was no longer considered a resident of Sefton and could not continue serve as supervisor.
Lois began working when a teenager, and her work history continued during her marriage, and until she entered Fayette County Hospital Long Term Care with her foot problems.
She shared some of the earlier years during marriage.
“Rod was probably three years old when I went to work at SavMore in Vandalia,” Lois said. “I didn’t move with them when they moved to the old Kroger building on the (Gallatin Street) hill.
“I was out of work for a little while, then Curt Muelchi called me and I worked for him (at the old Capp’s Drug store location). Then he sold out to Cuppy’s and, as I hadn’t worked for him very long, it was part of the deal that I went on to Cuppy’s.”
“After Cuppy’s, I did nothing for a while, then I went to work at Joyce’s Café in Brownstown and stayed on working for the next owner, Evelyn Enlow. I worked there until they closed,” she said.
Then Lois got called to work at Richardson’s Greenhouse, where she worked for twelve years.
But Not All Work and No Play
“We enjoyed going to the flea markets. We used to ride motorcycles and camp, but after we got involved in the flea markets, we had to give up the rest,” she said.
Jackson Homes
Lois recalled their first homes together.
“Our first home was south of Brownstown, for several years, then we moved north of Brownstown, in one place where we lived for about three years. Then we bought the place where we had lived around thirty years, until I had to go to a nursing home in 2007.”
And Home New
It will be three years in November, that I moved here (Brookstone Estates),” she said.
Her living quarters are prettily decorated with favorite objects reflecting her personality, many from her and Hoss’s last home together, and some that were gifts from her family.
Several family photographs are in the living room, including the last photograph taken of Hoss.
Her bathroom is decorated with photos of old outhouses. She has brought a few salt and pepper shakers from her extensive over-many-years collection.
Family
Lois enjoys and is close to her family, son Rod and wife, Karen; grandson, 15-year-old Jarod Ronald Ross Jackson; and granddaughter, Kadi Evelyn Jackson, age 13.
She also has a sister, Norma Harris, living in Arizona, with which she communicates and is looking forward to her sister’s response to this Fayette Faces article. Her sister subscribes to the paper, but Lois has not told anyone about this article. She wants to surprise them.
Summing Up
Lois is a very upbeat and friendly, person, and smiles and laughs frequently.
She likes to read and had some books nearby from Evans Public Library. The library delivers the books and picks them up for the residents’ convenience.
She attends church and Sunday school at Northside Christian Church with a good friend, DeeDee Diveley.
They also play a game, “Rummikube,” often. Two stuffed animals, a skunk and a dog, are part of the game. The winner of the games gets to take the dog home with them. The loser gets the skunk. The skunk, at present, is sitting in Lois’s living room, where, Lois states, laughingly, it usually stays.
She rejoined and attends the Sefton Unit HCE meetings, of which she is a valued member. She was also a member many years ago, but dropped out because of work.
She has also joined the Golden Years Club and attends club meetings. DeeDee makes sure she gets to both organzations’ meetings and events.
She speaks often and affectionately of her grandchildren and speaks highly of her care at the facility.
She said, on a sober note, that she didn’t mind so much of giving up her home to move to Brookstone, but it really bothered her when she had to give up her vehicle when that time had come. But she said she realized when it was time, it was just really hard to do.
She has many good times to reflect on, good friends, and especially, a good husband to remember, and today, still making good memories with family and her friends.