Thelma H. Jackson

Thelma (Mom) entered this world on September 4, 1919. She was born and raised in Wellington, Ohio, a small town not far from Cleveland. In 1944 she was joined in marriage to Harold Jackson (Dad) also of Wellington, Ohio. Dad was a traveling evangelist so they spent the first years of their marriage traveling to various churches holding evangelistic services. It was during this time that they were challenged to give their lives to serve as overseas missionaries. In 1948 they entered the training of “New Tribes Mission” now known as “Ethnos360”. At the time New Tribes Mission was just a small mission group with the goal of reaching primitive tribal groups around the world with the gospel of Christ. Dad had the gift of teaching so was quickly identified as someone who could help training missionaries and also by helping in mission leadership. As we kids have reflected back on Mom’s life we realize the tremendous support she gave dad all along the way and how impossible it would have been for him to do his challenging ministry had he not been given such a wonderful “help meet” in mom. In the early 1950’s they were sent to Japan where they served alongside a team of missionaries there for two years. They then helped in the Philippines for nearly a year before being sent to Australia where they spent a number of years setting up a New Tribes Training program to train missionaries from Australia and New Zealand. After spending 10 years in Australia they were brought back to the USA where they would serve has missionary instructors and representatives for the mission. Mom had a real gift for learning languages. While they were serving in Australia they made numerous trips to Papua New Guinea where she learned to speak “Pidgin English”. After returning to the USA they served for a number of years at our “language and linguistics institute” where mom taught Pidgin English to the students. Besides serving at the mission training centers they also served at our Mission Headquarters in Sanford, Florida, and from there served as representatives for the mission basing out of Sun City, Arizona until their retirement. Dad passed away in 2002 and mom continued to live in Sun City until 2010 at which time we convinced her that it would be good to come and live close some of her children. She has become such a big part of our lives and we will miss her deeply, but we are so thankful to know that she is now with the Lord Jesus whom she loved, and we will one day be with her again in Glory.

Mom is preceded in death by her husband Harold Jackson, parents John and Velma Hilliker, brother Howard Hilliker, Sister-in-law Frieda Hilliker, and son-in-law Ron Artz.

Mom is survived by her son John (Joetta) Jackson of Robinson, Tx; Janet Artz of New Carlisle, Ohio; Jeanne (Ed) Casteel of Litchfield, NE, 5 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild.

In lieu of flowers our family would suggest a gift to go towards the “Wana Scripture distribution” in Asia Pacific, where all three of her children served as missionaries.

To do so:

Make checks Payable to: Ethnos360

312 West First Street

Sanford, FL 32771-1231

On a separate note designate to: “Asia Pacific – Wana Team Scripture Distribution”