John Amos "Johnny" Jackson

John Amos "Johnny" Jackson was born April 25, 1936 in Pocahontas, TN to George Lewis and Callie Pearl Garrett Jackson. He lived most of his life in Pocahontas, TN and Walnut MS until he joined the US Navy in 1956. He received an Honorable Discharge upon leaving the Navy in 1960 after serving four years. While in the Navy serving on Ford Island, Oahu, Hawaii, he marched in the Hawaiian Statehood Parade.

In 1962 he met his wife, Olevia Gardner, while both were working at Pearl Grange Fruit Exchange, Benton Harbor, Michigan. They eloped and were married in Corinth, MS on October 15, 1962, 54 years ago. Two daughters, Tina JoDell and Kelly Kathleen, were brought into this world by this union. They lived in Benton Harbor until 1978 when they moved to Tennessee after being snowed in for 3 weeks.

In 1986, they built Big Hill Pond Community Center where country/western dances and lessons were held. In 2011, John and Olevia moved to Ripley, MS after their oldest daughter, Tina, passed away and he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. He passed away on June 23, 2017 at Rest Haven Nursing Home in Ripley after a long illness.

He loved music and did a mean two-step. Johnny made dulcimers which he took to festivals to sell and enjoyed playing his instruments. He spent many hours down in their garage sawing, gluing and fitting pieces together. Johnny made washtub bass fiddles (which their son-in-law, Steven, now plays in the Ripley SCV Band), canjos, mandolin dulcimers and banjo dulcimers. He was a very talented man, loving to paint, working as an electrician and doing most anything he tried.

Surviving are his wife, Olevia Jackson; a daughter, Kelly Rutherford (Steven); three granddaughters, Holly Janeen McCamey (Adam), Katy Lee Moss (Josh) and Kristy Lynn Robertson; two grandsons, Brent Edward Gibson (Katie) and Austin Conrad Butler (Melissa); three sisters, Elizabeth Jackson Hopper, Betty Bridges Whisnant (Cliff) and Linda Bridges Ragan (Jerry); two brothers, Howard and Harold Bridges and sister-in-law, Judy Newton Jackson. Seven great-grandchildren, John Wyatt and James Ryan Gibson, Kason Lee Moss, Kailyn Elizabeth, Kylee Raye and Kaeden Thomas McCamey and Chloe Katie Robertson, and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his parents, one daughter, Tina JoDell Gibson Butler, one brother, Donald Jackson, sister, Lila Bridges, great-granddaughter, Stevie Klaire Moss and great-grandson, Ryan Dalton Butler. The family requests memorial donations in his name be made to the charity of the donor's choice.