Bernice R. Jackson's Obituary
Bernice Jackson, a long-time resident of Tacoma area, died Wednesday, January 3rd at St Peter’s Hospital in Olympia, Washington. Bernice Ruby Pederson was born May 13, 1922 in Kimbrae, Minnesota to Elizabeth and Johnny Pederson. Johnny and Elizabeth were upper-middle class, Lutheran, dairy farmers coming from well-to-do families. Bernice was the oldest of three girls and was raised a sheltered life that she would eventually rebel against. She graduated from Fulda High School in 1940 and she graduated from a all-girls college with a two-year degree in business. After college Bernice move to Oakland, California and took up a job as a banks bookkeeper. Beatrice, Bernice’s younger sister, was also in Oakland and the girls teamed up filling in the blanks that their earlier sheltered life hadn’t afforded them. It was during these formative years that Bernice was introduced to James Jackson by her sister Beatrice. Jack and Bernice had a whirlwind romance and were married on December 28, 1946.
James was in the Navy, so they stayed in California after getting married. On 16th of August 1947 the newlywed couple was blessed with their first child, Robert Lee – who we all know as Bob. Jack left the Navy in 1948 but had difficulty finding a job. In August of 1950 Jack joined the Army and went on active duty in Korea and almost immediately was deployed to serve during in the Korean War. Bernice went back to live with her parents who had by then moved to Flom, Minnesota. Then on the 23rd of November 1950 Bernice’s second son, Thomas James, was born while Jack was in Korea. Not to be left out or out done by his older brother, Thomas is known to most of us as either Tom or Jim.
After two more years, the Jackson clan was transferred overseas to Germany for 4 years. This was followed by an Army reassignment of the family to Ft Lewis, Washington where they bought a house. While there, their third child, Susan JoAnn, was born at Madigan on 15 August 1956 completing the Jackson family. Afterwards they were reassigned to San Diego, California, Georgia, Germany again, New York, and then finally retired back in Washington in 1964. As their children grew up they decided to become foster parents for 15 years for as many as 23 children. During retirement Jack and Bernice decided to drive in a motor home across the United States and also traveled to Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, and Costa Rica. Bernice took care of Jack as the years went by and the challenges in doing so mounted as Jack went blind before his death in 2014.
During her life Bernice’s hobbies included supporting her family’s pursuits of auto racing, boating, fishing, bowling, motor homing, farming, gardening, and traveling. She was active in the Lutheran church growing up and taught a Sunday school class of girls after graduating from high school. After getting married, she was baptized in the Baptist church in Lakewood. During that time she played the piano in the church and Jack played the guitar right along with her. They were very active in the church until they moved to Spanaway. Later she took organ lessons and replaced the piano with an organ which she enjoyed playing daily. She loved to crochet, bake, read, put puzzles together, and she had a compassion for animals.
Bernice's son Robert married Ingrid Jones and had 2 children, Tanya Marie and Robert Jason. Son Thomas married Sylvia Saulnier and had 2 children, James Lee and Nicole Lynn. And Daughter Susan married Carl Knight and had 2 children, Jeremy Kendal and Kyra Crystal. Robert has 4 granddaughters, Thomas has 1 granddaughter, and Susan has 6 grandsons and 2 granddaughters. Thomas now lives in Florida and Susan lives in Ohio. Therefore, after James death in 2014, Bernice moved to Sequoia Nursing Home in Lacey to be closer to Robert & Ingrid. She resided there for 2 plus years before her death last week.
Bernice is survived by her sister, Mary Albertson in Minnesota, and her three children Bob and wife Ingrid, Tom, and Susan and her husband Paul. She also leaves behind 6 grandchildren Tanya and husband Tony Diehl (Deal), Rob and wife Dinh, Jim Jackson, Nicole and husband Daniel Martin, Jeremy and wife Angela Knight, and Kyra and husband Charles Tuey. Finally, she leaves behind 11 great-grandchildren including Carl Knight, Justin Knight, Eliana Knight, Courtney Murphy, Alexis Tuey, Sean Tuey, Liam Tuey, Jazmyn Jackson, Abigail Diehl (Deal), Noelle Diehl, Bethany Diehl, and great-great grandson JJ Graham. She is preceded in death by her husband Jack, her sister Beatrice, her son-in-law Carl, and two great grandchildren. May her soul be refreshed and blessed in the eternal life that now follows.
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