Carol Jackson

Marion Carol Jackson 

"Aunt Ettie and Uncle Ben's baby. She was about 1 yr. old when Aunt Ettie died with T.B."

[Author's note: Carol was 5 years old when her mother died.]

"Aunt Ettie" was the sister of my great-grandmother Annie Hicks.

PHOTO: Annie (left) and Ettie (right) with their mother Adaline Arnold

PHOTO: Ben and Ettie Arnold Jackson

Carol was the youngest of their six children. 

Carol married Norman Ray Allender in 1956

Norman and Carol were missionaries in Mexico for more than 50 years.

Carol and Norman were married for 68 years.

Carol Jackson Allender died 09 December 2024

OBITUARY

Carol Allender was born to Benjamin and Etta Jackson in Floral, Arkansas, on April 6, 1940. She is survived by her beloved husband of 68 years, Norman, several nieces and nephews, and Debra Sparkman (a very special friend and fellow servant of the Lord, whom she thought of as the daughter she never had).

She was preceded in death by her parents, her stepmother Cora Jackson, three brothers, Alvis, Calvin, and Coy Jackson, and two sisters Dulcie Nicholson and Wincel Sandefur. 

Although Carol and her husband, Norman, had no children, they have two god-sons, Matthew Flores and Joshua Garza.

Carol and Norman married on May 2, 1956, and answered the call to the mission field in Mexico in January, 1973. They have been active in this ministry to the present. They have churches in Mexico and also founded Templo Rayos De Luz on the border in Pharr, Texas. 

Carol had an extensive radio ministry since 1978 to the present. She loved reading and studying the Bible, telling others about Jesus, playing music, singing, taking pictures, and painting. Most of all, she loved God and her country. She consistently prayed for those who put their life on the line for others (military, police officers, EMTs, fire department workers, hospital workers, etc.). She spent her life telling others about Jesus, because the greatest joy she received was when a soul gave their heart to the Lord.

Carol was dearly loved by all who knew her and she will be greatly missed.

* * *

As far as I can tell, Norman Allender is still living.

Family Group

 Here is a group picture of my great-grandparents with most of their children and 3 grandchildren.

This picture would have been taken in 1936 or 37

"U.F. and Annie Hicks

Ruby & Jack Barnett

Lester (holding Wathada) and

Cleffie Burford

Irene and Doc (holding Velma Lee)

Barnett.

Vernell, right between Jack 

and Lester in background,

other kids in far background"

The "other kids" would be Lowell, Bernice, Oma Dell, and Olan.

Oma Dell was a grandchild -- the daughter of Ruby and Jack. She was older than Bernice and Lowell.

Elvin (age 16) and Evalee (age 14)  are missing from this photo. 

Half Uncle by Marriage

"John Rhoades"

"Ma's half sister's husband (Margaret)"

"Annie Hicks' half uncle by marriage"

"Aunt Margaret Rhoades"

"Ma's half sister"

* * *

"Ma" was Adaline Carter Arnold, mother of my great-grandmother Annie Arnold Hicks. 

Everyone called her "ma" (pronounced "maw")

PHOTO: Annie Arnold Hicks, Adaline Carter Arnold

PHOTO: Adaline Arnold, Annie Hicks

Marion Arnold family

I don't really know who Marion Arnold is. From the writing on the back of this photo she should be the daughter of "uncle Alix Williams". The only Alex Williams I know of in our family records was the husband of aunt Peggy Bullard. (Peggy Bullard raised my great-great-grandfather Henry Arnold. She was his aunt.) Peggy and Alex did not have any children. I think they were married only a few years. Alex might have had children from a previous marriage. The only way Marion Arnold could be the daughter of Alex Williams would be if she married someone named Arnold.

There remains the possibility that Marion was actually part of the Arnold branch of our family tree. But if so, I don't have any record of anyone by that name.

Here is what my great-grandmother Annie Arnold Hicks wrote about Alex Williams --

Aunt Peggy married Alex Williams, a very strange character.  Aunt Peggy said she never could get acquainted with him or understand his actions.  Lots of nights he would get up in the night and sit in the door with his gun just like he was expecting a murderer, but in just a few years he was walking home across an old field where there was some dead trees and one of them fell on him and killed him.  Just the day before that, he had a snuff box packed full of $20 gold pieces and that would be a lot of money for them times.  He evidently had hid that money for not a penny could be found (about 1897).  In those days gold pieces were in common circulation.  They got the idea that he bored a hole in a tree and put the box of money in the hole and put a peg in on it, but they had no idea which tree nor for sure that he did that, so there wasn’t any chance to find the money.  This all took place in Missouri around Thayer. 

I can't find any documentation of this event or of any of these people, except Aunt Peggy.

The church Marlie built

 

"The old man in the picture is Clyde Froud. He was the preacher at the little church Marlie built. The man with the hat on is Marlie."

(Pretty sure the handwriting is Annie Hicks - Marlie's sister, my great-grandmother)

* * *

Here is a mildly enhanced version of the picture.

I don't know where this church was. Probably somewhere in Arkansas.

Richard's first school picture

Richard Melvin Thomas, my dad. (aka Red) 

"Richard's first year in school. Age -- 5 yrs old when school started and he was 6 in Nov 17 -- 1940 same yr he started school."

Here are some more school pictures of Richard Thomas

Dad's date

To the best of my knowledge, this was the girl Dad was on a date with when he met my mother. 

(She was apparently a classmate of Mom's. The "54" refers to their graduation year. Mom and Dad were married in September 1953.)

Joanie Colman Treat

"Red - prom night - Joanie Colman's house. Joanie was Red's date for the prom. 1952"

PHOTO: Joanie Colman and Red Thomas

(Dad would have been 17 years old when this picture was taken.)

* * *

Joanie Colman later married Red's cousin Jack Treat

Jack and Joanie had 3 children - Terry, Jeff, and Jackie Jo

Aunt Birdie

Birdie Leona Hays Arnold (1899-1978) was the wife of Marlie Arnold. Marlie was the brother of my great-grandmother Annie Arnold Hicks.

PHOTOS: Birdie and Marlie Arnold

"to Evalee with all my love age 77 Aunt Birdie"

This picture is Aunt Birdie at the grave of her grandson Larry Rapert

"that some flowers we got for him he been gone 4 years the 18 of july. Marlie been gone 5 years the 6 of july love you"

Speaking of Schools

I have a whole bunch of school group photos

This one has my grandmother Christie Thomas and her sister Madge, taken in Ohio, must have been around 1910 (Grandma was born in 1903). Grandma is 3rd row, 3rd from left. Madge is far left on the 2nd row.

This one has Roger Thomas and Florence Thomas, presumably Bangor, Michigan. Roger is 2nd row, 2nd from left. Florence is the tall girl with dark hair in the back row.

* * *

This one is my dad's 6th grade class -- in Hartford, Michigan, I think. Dad is on the left end of the front row of boys. The teacher, Mrs. Lois Righter, is on the far right in the back row. She was my 6th grade teacher, too, 20 years later.

This one has my grandmother Cleffie (Hicks) Burford. She was actually absent the day the picture was made, so she spliced herself into the picture with an image from another photo of herself. She is 2nd from right on the 2nd row. You can see the perspective is a little off, but really not too bad at all!

* * *

This is Crossroads school in Arkansas, 1915. My great-grandfather Ulysses Hicks was the teacher (marked with an arrow in the photo).

I think this school is in Judsonia, Arkansas. The little boy in the middle of the front row (with an unfortunate pen mark through his face) is my great-uncle Elvin Hicks. He was born in 1920, so this picture was probably around 1926 or so.*

* * *

This is Friendship School and includes some or all of the Arnold siblings - George, Annie, John, Marlie, and Ettie.

Friendship school again, with some of all of the Arnolds.

* * *

Mt. Etna school (somewhere in Arkansas) photo includes all five of the Arnold siblings, according to a list of names that came with the photo.

This is also Friendship school. I think some of the Arnolds are in here, but I'm not sure which ones. The girl 2nd from left in the back is definitely my great-grandmother Annie Arnold (Hicks). Don't you just love the little boy on the front row in the Little Lord Fauntleroy suit? (4th from left)

* * *

I don't know where this picture came from. I have it listed as "Mattawan school maybe" -- so it probably is among our Thomas family photos. It wouldn't necessarily have to be Mattawan, Michigan, though.

This little one room school was in Bangor (I think) Michigan. The little guy in the front row on the far left (looking off to the left) is my dad, Richard Thomas. He has some stories to tell about his school days at Stoughten Corners School.**

* * *

This is New Troy (Michigan) school. The boy 2nd from right on the front row is my uncle Bob Burford.

This is Hull School in Benton Harbor, Michigan. My uncle Bob Burford is just to left of middle, the boy leaning forward with a shock of blonde hair -- I think.

* * *

This is Hull School, 8th grade. My mother, Wathada, is in the middle (dark dress with collar, between two taller girls).

This is McCord School (Benton Harbor MI) 2nd grade. Wathada is front row 2nd from right.

* * *

New Troy school, my uncle Morris Burford is front row center.

New Troy, 1947. Wathada is in the front row of girls, far right.

* * *

New Troy 1948, Wathada is 2nd row, 4th from left.

This is Sorter School, Benton Harbor, Michigan. 1956. My cousin Mary Gail (Leatherwood) sent me this picture. I assume she is in this photo, but I don't know which one is her.

*Cleffie's stories are in my book The Woods Is Full of 'Em

**Dad's stories are in my book Secret and Resolute

My books are available on Amazon in Kindle format.