Gladys Jackson

Gladys Jackson, 89, of Midland, Texas, passed away on May 15, 2013 at the Younger Center at Manor Park. Graveside services are scheduled for Friday, May 17, 2013 at 3:00 pm, at the Galveston Memorial Park Cemetery in Hitchcock, Texas.Gladys Pearl Koets Jackson was born on October 9, 1923 to Adriaan Ed and Jesse (Hiemstra) Koets on the family farm in Pipestone County, Minnesota. In her earlier years, she moved with her family to several farms in the Edgerton area and attended country school in District 6. In her teens, she moved with her family to several farms in the Pipestone area. She graduated from Pipestone High School in 1941.After graduating from high school, Gladys moved to California to help in the World War II effort. She worked for Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach and Lockheed in San Diego as a Rosie the Riveter. When she was at Lockheed, she worked on the P-38, and often left notes in the planes for the pilots. She was very proud of her work on the airplanes, but ultimately met and married a Navy man. She married Edison (Ed) (Bo) (Jack) (Curley) Jackson on March 31, 1945 in Long Beach, California. Following their marriage, they moved to Brewster, Minnesota and had 3 children. In 1956, they moved to Galveston, Texas. In 1957, Gladys began working for American National Insurance Company in the Audit Division until her retirement in 1984.Jack preceded her in death on June 21, 1975. Gladys continued to work, enjoyed her church activities and taking trips with her sister and husband, Edna and Albert Blom. She traveled to Hawaii, Alaska and to the Netherlands. While in the Netherlands, she reconnected with relatives of her parents and enjoyed seeing the country of her heritage.In 2002, at 79 years old, Gladys moved from Galveston to Midland, Texas, where she independently resided at Manor Park. It was an adjustment for her, but it didnt take long before you saw her smiling face in the dining room or at church or playing games or just visiting in the hallways. In June 2011, Gladys was moved into the John F. Younger Center at Manor Park, after losing her struggle to stay independent with the onset of Alzheimers. At the Younger Center, everyone came to know Gladys for her red hat, her feistiness and her love for pancakes or ice cream.She is survived by two children, Joyce Nelson, Waco and Gayle Carr, Midland; four grandchildren, Brian Cannary, Dawn Nelson, Rachael Carr Longmire (Jerry) and Dylan Carr; four great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jack; one son, James; one grandson, Scott; one brother, Richard Koets; and two sisters, Marie VanHove and Edna Blom.Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland and J Levy & Termini Funeral Home of Galveston. Online condolences can be made at: www.npwelch.com,