For decades, the name Trudie Jackson meant excellence, achievement, and honor in education, fraternal, and church circles. On January 22, 2024, Mrs. Jackson passed away at age 96, leaving a legacy of service and commitment.
Funeral services for Mrs. Jackson will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at 11 a.m. at the Greater Free Gift Baptist Church.
Mrs. Jackson was born on April 15, 1927, in Eros, Louisiana. Trudie was the beloved daughter of Willie Bowers and Maggie Ammons Bowers. Growing up alongside her two sisters, Margie Cole and Lucille Bowers Henderson, Trudie’s life was a testament to faith, education, and community service.
From an early age, Trudie was immersed in her faith, joining Robinson Chapel CME Church. Her beautiful soprano voice was a gift she shared generously, participating in the choir and a gospel trio and performing at various churches and events across Louisiana.
Education played a central role in Trudie’s life. As a valedictorian from Chatham Negro High School, she discovered a passion for teaching, which led her to a fulfilling career in education. She taught in the Jackson Parish School System while attending Grambling State University. Her academic pursuits didn’t stop there; she went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Education from Northeast Louisiana University, becoming the first African American to do so. Trudie also enhanced her educational background with studies at Louisiana Tech University and the University of Maryland.
Professional Life
Her professional journey spanned over four decades in the Ouachita Parish School System, where she served as a teacher, reading and math coordinator, and finally as the principal of Central Elementary School.
Trudie’s personal life was equally rich and fulfilling. On April 25, 1948, she married Jeney Jackson, Jr., marking the beginning of a loving partnership that lasted 58 years. Together, they raised two sons, Larry Darnell and Lawrence Ray, and extended their nurturing to cousins Robert T. Williams and Julia Foster Reynolds. Trudie was also a mentor to many, including Lawrence Moore and Rickey Davis.
A woman of many talents and interests, Trudie was known for her exceptional baking skills, especially her sweet potato and lemon meringue pies and her perfectly shaped pound cakes. An avid fisher, she often spent time fishing with her husband and close friends. Trudie was also noted for her impeccable fashion sense, always presenting herself with elegance and style.
Affiliations
Her commitment to service was evident through her involvement in various religious, fraternal, and civic organizations including: Esther Grand Chapter Order of Eastern Star, Prince Hall Affiliation; District Deputy Grand Worthy Matron District 14; Look to the East Chapter No. 87; Ester Lee Meadors Amaranth Court No. 25; Louis R. Price Assembly No. 173 Order of the Golden Circle; Jomadi Court No, 29 Auxiliary of the A.E.A.O.N.M.S., Inc.; Amelia W. Clark Court No. 6 Order of Cyrene; Ruth Court No. 49 Heroines of Jericho; Omicron Iota Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Trudie B. Jackson Youth Fraternity Number 14 for the State of Louisiana; Ouachita Parish Retired Teachers’ Association; Louisiana Retired Teachers’ Association; Grambling University National Alumni Association; West Monroe Police Academy; and West Monroe City Neighborhood Watch.
Survivors
Besides her parents, Trudie was preceded in death by her husband (Jeney), stepfather (Philip Jackson), and sisters (Lucille Henderson and Margie Cole). She leaves to cherish her memories: her two sons, Larry Darnell Jackson (Nita), Louisville, Kentucky, and Lawrence Ray Jackson (LaNesha), Dacula, Georgia, six grandchildren, Sonia Suggs (Milton), Yolanda Allen (Whitney), and Larry Jackson, Jr. (Charmayne) all of Louisville, Kentucky, Tina Jackson, Lithonia, Georgia, DeAngelo Jackson (Jessica), Loganville, Georgia, and Chantel Jackson, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, eight great-grandchildren, Ayanna Suggs, Aaron Suggs, Alayna Allen, Aliyah Allen, Cierra Jackson, Lennox Jackson, Jailynne Pardue, and Mike Pardue, one Godson, Justin Reynolds, two cousins she helped to rear, Robert T. Williams (Fannie), and Julia Foster Reynolds (Billy), and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
