Lillie McMorris Jackson

Services for Lillie McMorris Jackson, of Bogue Chitto, will be heldat 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 16, at New Zion Union Missionary BaptistChurch in Bogue Chitto with burial in the Bogue Chitto-NorfieldCemetery. Williams Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Thursday from 1 until 6 p.m. at the funeral home.

Sister Lillie M. Jackson was born in Bogue Chitto to Samuel (Sam)and Della Nelson McMorris on April 13, 1930. She was the youngestof 16 children born into this Christian household.

She attended the Lincoln County Training School and received herhigh school diploma in 1947 as the class valedictorian. A Bachelorof Science degree in Elementary Education was earned at JacksonState University in 1951; the Master of Science degree inElementary Education from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.,was earned in 1961. Additionally, Sis. Jackson completed furtherstudies at the University of Southern Mississippi and MississippiCollege. In 2001, she received the Golden Diploma from JacksonState University – the 50th anniversary of her graduation. In 2006,the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Jackson State University AlumniAssociation presented her a Golden Certificate, also in recognitionof the 50th anniversary.

Her professional career in the field of education included threeyears’ teaching in the Marion County School System; 17 years in theForest Separate School District; and 21 years in the Lincoln CountySchool District – an aggregate of 41 years. She retired from BogueChitto Elementary School in May 1993 after having impactedthousands of students over the years. While in the education field,Sis. Jackson was a member of the Lincoln County EducationalAssociation (vice president); both the Mississippi and NationalAssociation of Educators; the Parent-Teacher Association; theCommittee for Staff Development; and former chairperson of theDivision of Instructional Management/Language.

Within the community, Sis. Jackson was a member of and served in avariety of leadership positions within the local and districtHeroines of Jericho. Additionally, she was former vice president ofthe Lincoln County Retired Teachers Association and member of theNAACP. Sis. Jackson was a lifetime member of the McComb NegroBusiness and Professional Women’s Club where she held office asthird vice president, worship director and treasurer. Because ofher dedication to its activities, the club honored her as “ClubWoman of the Year” in 1992 and again in 2003. She had been awardedthe President’s Award and the highest national award given – theSojourner Truth Award. Lillie had served as president, vicepresident, secretary, Bible teacher and advisor of the Lincoln andAdjoining Counties Ministers Wives Union. She was president of theWomen’s District Missionary Baptist Convention of Lincoln andAdjoining Counties at the time of her death.

Sis. Jackson was a lifetime member of the New Zion Union MissionaryBaptist Church where she served as Bible teacher of the SeniorMission, president of the Deaconess ministry, matron of the Women’sIntermediate Auxiliary, chairperson of the program committee,assistant teacher of vacation Bible school, and formersecretary-treasurer of the church’s building fund. Sis. Jacksonworked closely with her husband of 35 years, the late Rev. J.W.Jackson, as he shepherded the Springfield M.B. Church and Mt. OliveM.B. Church. At Mt. Olive, she organized the Junior Mission andreorganized the Home Mission and the Sunbeam. She served as thedirector of the vacation Bible school at Springfield and teacher atMt. Olive. She also organized the Senior Home Mission at St. Paul(on the river) Missionary Baptist Church.

Sis. Jackson participated in and completed several Biblecorrespondence study programs and attended several seminaries whereshe received a certificate for Sunday school teacher (MississippiBaptist Seminary of Jackson) and certificates in Christian Trainingand in English Bible (Harper’s Baptist Seminary). She was featuredas “Unsung Hero” in The DAILY LEADER and was recognized mostrecently by the Bogue Chitto Community Women’s Auxiliary as alegend during its 2007 Legends Ball.

On Monday, Nov. 12, 2007, at 12:15 a.m., Lillie heard a voicesaying, “Come unto me and I will give you eternal rest.” With adeep and abiding faith in God, Lillie was a kind and devotedmother, loving sister, caring aunt and supportive friend. Herloving and kind memories will be cherished by all those who had theopportunity to know her, including her beloved only daughter, DellaR. Posey, of Jackson; brother and sister-in-law, Melton and MaryMcMorris, of Bogue Chitto; her sister, Juanita Labat, of LosAngeles, Calif.; and sister-in-law, Earlene McMorris, of PortGibson. In addition, one special nephew, Ulysses Doyle Jr., whoassisted as her caretaker; five “grand” daughters, Candace andLaToya Braxton, of Bogue Chitto, Tatia Long Kiser, of Pensacola,Natalie Long, of Jackson, and Stanci Long, of Bogue Chitto; a hostof nieces, nephews, other family and friends.

Preceding her in death were her parents and her siblings, Otto,Reba, Marguerite, Leonard, Lottie Alice, Cora, Edith, Prince,Booker, Ida, Welton and Irma.