Mrs. Louise Jackson

Louise Ellenburg Jackson, age 98, passed away peacefully at her home in Cave Spring on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 surrounded by her loving family. Mrs. Jackson was born in Anniston, Alabama on September 20, 1924, daughter of Arthur Ross and Rosa Winn Ellenburg. She was preceded in death by her parents and five siblings, Martin, Ross, Grace, Baby Archie Ray, and Mary Sue.  

Although her family’s roots were in Georgia (her father was one of Martha Berry’s Possum Trot students), his job moved them to Anniston, AL, before her birth. She graduated from Anniston High School and just last year returned to attend her 80th high school class reunion. She attended Alabama State College for Women, now the University of Montevallo, while her sweetheart, Charles F. Jackson, Sr. from Rome, GA served our country in World War II. After his return, they married on September 14, 1946. Using the GI Bill, they both attended and graduated from the University of Georgia, where she became a life-long, avid Bulldog fan. Though Mrs. Jackson did not achieve her goal of becoming valedictorian of her class at UGA, she treasured a hand-written letter sent to her parents by the Dean of Students, praising her leadership and scholarship. After graduation, the young couple bought a farm in Cave Spring, GA on August 1, 1950, and they never left – “the farm” was home for the rest of their lives.    ​

Mrs. Jackson’s degree in Business Administration served her well as she worked for the Cave Spring Housing Authority, the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Center, and finally the Georgia School for the Deaf. She was the perfect secretary-treasurer for every organization to which she belonged, dedicating years of service to the Cave Spring Wildlife Club, the Cave Spring Optimist Club and the Rome Power Squadron, just to mention a few. She also served as the PTA President at Cave Spring Elementary and High School for many years.  

​Her utmost dedication was to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to her church, First Baptist Church of Cave Spring, where she served for decades as the Church Clerk, faithfully sang in the choir, and was the long-time president of the WMU. In recent days, she felt well enough to return to church for one last Sunday morning service and was greeted with applause and hugs from the entire congregation. She was so loved by everyone.    ​

Perhaps her most memorable quality was her devotion to her family – it was legendary.  Many of her nieces and nephews looked forward to spending whole summers at the farm, and she welcomed them all with open arms. She attended every grandchild’s ballgame, school play, choir concert and Honor’s Day. She cooked Sunday lunch after church for as long as she could, serving the best roast, green beans and potato salad - these will never taste as good cooked by anyone else. 

Even though she kept a birthday calendar, she didn’t really need it- she knew everyone’s birthday by heart and sent out dozens of cards every month to family and friends.  Family reunions were the most special time for her – she sent individually-typed postcards to all family members to ensure that they would mark their calendars to be there. There was always plenty of food, including her specialty, blackberry cobbler, made from wild blackberries that she handpicked herself on their farm. But it wasn’t the food that fed her spirit – it was being with all the family that made her face light up. Just recently, at the age of 98, she said to one of her grandsons, “If there was ever a contest for the best family, we would win first prize!” No… we are the ones who won first prize when God blessed us with her.   

​In addition to her parents and her siblings, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband Charles F. Jackson, Sr. on January 10, 1992, and her loving daughter Nancy Carolyn Jackson on August 5, 2020. She leaves the legacy of a large family who lovingly nicknamed her “Mom’Ese,” and will miss her dearly.

She is survived by her sons Charles F. Jackson, Jr. (Christa) and Benjamin R. Jackson (Leslie) both of Cave Spring. She had nine grandchildren, Dr. Charles Jackson (Bethany), Dr. Cline Jackson (Jessica), Chris Jackson (Catherine) all of Rome; Cleve Jackson (Emilia) of Cave Spring; Eric Welch (Lauren) of Morris Plains, New Jersey; Kelsey Jackson and Benjamin Jackson both of Rome; and Hannah Jackson and Hayes Jackson both of Cave Spring. Mom’Ese loved and adored her fourteen great-grandchildren as well, three of whom were named in her honor. Many much-loved nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends also survive to treasure her memory.   

The family received friends on Sunday, March 12, at 2 PM at First Baptist Church of Cave Spring, followed by her service there at 3 PM with Pastor Jarrod Kinsey officiating. Interment followed in the Cave Spring Cemetery. Mrs. Jackson's grandsons served as pallbearers.

 In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the First Baptist Church of Cave Spring, P.O. Box 327, Cave Spring, GA 30124.

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