Melba Jackson

MORGAN – Our special mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend left this life on July 1st to be with her Heavenly Father after struggling with an age related illness.  Melba left a large and lasting imprint on others through her actions and service.  Whether for family, friends or strangers, her life was lived by helping others.  She was without guile and loved everyone.  She was honest and trustworthy and one of her greatest attributes was her integrity.  We will really miss looking into her pretty blue eyes that would sparkle when she would talk about those she loved, when she would have the opportunity to travel to visit with those loved ones and speak Spanish.  If you were fortunate enough to meet Melba, you would be a friend for life because she would always remember you.  She paid meticulous attention to details concerning birthdays, Christmases, weddings, missionary farewells, and even funerals.  Cards, gifts and flowers were always provided and she never missed one, sometimes to Dad’s mild regret.  When any of the rest of us would go with her, she would always make sure that we were introduced to our relatives and her friends, sometimes to our mild regret. Her attributes were so endearing that now we regretfully won’t have those opportunities anymore.

Born into this world on May 17, 1927 at Rebel Creek Ranch in northern Nevada, she was the daughter of John Parley Ellison and Chloe Elizabeth Larkin Ellison.  Rebel Creek was one of the sheep and cattle ranches that her grandfather, Ephraim Peter Ellison, had organized as part of the Ellison Ranching Company.  This particular ranch served as a stage stop in the “olden” days.  They lived in the bottom of the house and the second floor served as a hotel.  The stage driver liked to stay in the room with the chimney going through it because if was warmer at night.  Her mom served there as the postmaster for years.  Melba was born in the bunkhouse on the ranch (it’s a long story) by a woman who lived down in the valley and by a country doctor who drank too much.  Her arm was broken in the process of being born and had to have a cast on it.  The nearest hospital was 50 miles away in Winnemucca.

Melba attended a small country school until 8th grade graduation and then boarded in Winnemucca for high school.  “Tink”, as she was affectionately known to her friends and family, decided to attend college at the University of Utah for four years and the University of Mexico in Mexico City for a summer to earn extra Spanish credits for her Spanish minor.  She loved to speak Spanish and French and was very good at it.  She played the clarinet and saxophone at the University of Utah and was in the band.

Melba met Clarence W. Jackson through a mutual acquaintance who was serving with Clarence in North Africa and Italy during the battles of World War II.  That mutual friend was who got them writing to one another was killed before he could return home.  Clarence and Melba were married on June 30, 1948.  They honeymooned in Canada and then moved to Logan, Utah so Clarence could finish his degree and graduate from Utah State University.  They ended back on the ranch where they started raising six children and later moved to Morgan, Utah in 1966.  Melba worked at Browning Arms for years and retired from Hill Air Force Base where she worked with the F-16 Fighter Program. She was also the Morgan County Draft Board secretary.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence (1994), her mother and father, three brothers and one daughter, Jayne Melba Jackson (1968).  She is survived by her five remaining children; Son Michael C. Jackson, wife Ingrid, children; Matthew, Morgen, Jennifer, Klarissa and Mariah. Daughter Patrice A. Stringer, husband Paul and children; Patrick, Katie, Jameson, Sean and Micaela.  Son Kelly S. Jackson, wife Bonnie, children; Andrew, Ellison, Kelsea and Gabriel. Daughter Lark L. Jackson.  Daughter Jill Porter, husband Randy, children; Zachary, Dusty and Elizabeth.  There are 17 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

Melba E. Jackson was a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers with her ancestors being baptized in the River Ribble in Preston, England.  They later crossed the ocean and gathered in Nauvoo before eventually coming west to Kaysville, Utah and Nevada.  She was true to the faith as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was in the Morgan 11th Ward.  That Ward will conduct her funeral on Friday, July 8, 2016 at 11:00 A.M. at the LDS Stake Center located at 355 N. 700 E. in Morgan, Utah.  It is the building on the left of the freeway just as you drive into town.  A viewing will begin at 9:30 A.M. at the same building immediately before the service.  Lunch for everyone will follow the service.  After that, burial will take place at the Kaysville Cemetery located at 500 Crestwood Rd, Kaysville, UT 84037.  The Walker Mortuary in Morgan is helping with the services.  (walker-mortuary.com)   Melba Jackson, you are the best !