MARILYN RAE COLEMAN JACKSON, 81, passed on to
her heavenly reward May 10, 2016 in Plano, TX. Marilyn
married Jerry M. Jackson (Ranger ISD) of Breckenridge in
Lubbock in 1956, with burial in the Macedonia Cemetery
north of Ranger, TX.
She was born to Wilbur Ralph & Clara Bell Ball Coleman of
Hutchinson, KS on Oct. 12, 1934. She was born in the midst
of the great depression and lived through World War II as
a child. Her brother Richard and future husband Jerry would
both serve in the Korean War. Her little brother Ted and
brothers-in-law Joe Bob Jackson and Thomas Jackson would
also have to serve in the armed forces after Korea & through
Vietnam. Life was not easy for her generation. Her father
worked tirelessly to ensure that his little girl could be
the first in his family to attend university. After grad-
uating from Abilene High School in 1953, Marilyn attended
Texas Tech University, where she would meet the husband
with whom she would spend fifty-two years until his passing
in 2008.
Marilyn was a strong Christian and she and Jerry were members
of the First Baptists Churches in Breckenridge, Moran, and
Ranger, where Jerry served as Deacon. Jerry and Marilyn
dedicated their lives to educating children. Marilyn continued
her education while raising her four children, eventually
earning her Bachelor Degree from Tarleton State University
in 1972. While Jerry was the Superintendent of Schools
in Moran and Ranger, Marilyn taught English, History and
Spanish. She was a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma teaching
sorority in the three communities where she taught & looked
forward to the meetings with fellow teachers which fostered
such a wonderful sense of collegiality.
Marilyn was a great mother and never missed an athletic event,
musical recital, or 4H Club activity in which her children
were involved. She truly put her family first in everything
she did. She provided a rich learning environment at home
for her children, and fostered a lifelong love of learning
for which her children are eternally grateful. Marilyn also
was a livestock show mom who provided support as her children
showed cattle, sheep, and swine at major livestock shows
throughout the Southwest.
The Jacksons always traveled as a family to various activities,
which included four straight trips for daughter Katy to the
state track meet in Austin, and trips to Houston, Dallas, Fort
Worth and San Antonio among other places for livestock shows.
At school, Marilyn had a passion for Language Arts and seventh
grade Texas History. If you graduated from Ranger High School
between 1982 & 2002, you experienced Mrs. Jackson?s expositions
on Shakespeare, Poe, and Thoreau. Marilyn could quote line and
verse, but wanted her students to experience literature with a
unique approach for each individual child. She had her students
stand up and act out parts of plays & short stories long before
the research said active learning would yield better results.
She was a very even tempered teacher who made learning fun and
exciting. She truly found her life's calling as a teacher. She
suffered a stroke in 2007 while caring for Jerry and would have
to leave her beloved farmhouse in Ranger. But even while she had
to live closer to her children in Dallas, she always considered
Ranger her hometown and would talk about Ranger's wonderful people
and her students until her last days.
Marilyn was preceded in death by her mother and father W.R. &
Clara Coleman, her husband Jerry, her mother and father-in-law
William Rice and Maime Elise Jackson, her brother-in-law and
sister-in-law Dr. Bill and Shirley Jackson, and her brother
Richard.
Marilyn is survived by her brother Ted Coleman of Amarillo, her
sister-in-law Judy Coleman of Watauga, her children Vicki Olivier
of Carrollton, Jerry Bradley Jackson of Stafford, Katy Jackson
Jensen (RHS-1983) of Commerce, Jeffrey Jackson (RHS-1989) of
Plano, ten grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. Marilyn
loved her grandchildren and her family deeply and she will be
dearly missed by them.