Rebel Hope Jackson

Mrs. Rebel Hope Jackson, widow of S. R. Jackson, Jr., and longtime Abilenian, died Wednesday, September 11, 2013. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, September 14, at First Central Presbyterian Church with Dr. Clifford S. Stewart officiating. He will be assisted by Associate Pastor Rev. Janice Six who was Mrs. Jackson’s former student. Interment will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park, directed by The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Mrs. Jackson was the daughter of Eunice Lucile Morris and Radford Hale Hope, both now deceased. She was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, where her father had been sent to open a Gulf Oil Company office. Shortly after, he returned to the Fort Worth office. Mrs. Jackson lived in Fort Worth and attended Arlington Heights Grade School. She moved with her mother to Abilene, graduating from Abilene High School in 1940. She received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and English from Hardin-Simmons University in 1943. She was editor of the school newspaper, The Brand, during her senior year. Upon graduation, she went to work as a reporter on the staff of the Abilene Reporter-News. She married S. R. Jackson, Jr., in 1948. After her marriage, she transferred to the society staff, working under longtime editor Leltie Faucett. The hours for the women’s page were generally daytime hours, whereas the editorial staff worked on morning and evening editions of the newspaper at that time. For a number of years she was entertainment editor, reviewing movies and theater and writing a feature column “For Your Pleasure.” Their daughter, Bliss Hope, was born in 1953. After her husband’s death in 1968, Mrs. Jackson joined the faculty at Abilene High School where she taught English for ten years. She had been a member of First Central Presbyterian Church since moving to Abilene. She served as an elder and had taught classes ranging from the cradle to senior members, the latter being the Friendly Class. She was instrumental in organizing a service ministry for seniors called LifeLine. Mrs. Jackson was active in the Abilene Woman’s Club, as well as the Thursday Forum Study Club. She had been a member of many civic organizations including the Abilene Garden Club. She served on the boards of the newly organized Abilene Girls’ Home and the YWCA. For a number of years she served on the board of the Abilene Public Library. She enjoyed reading and gave numerous book reviews. She also belonged to several bridge clubs as well as a book study group. Mrs. Jackson is survived by her daughter, Bliss Hope Angerman of Austin; twin granddaughters, Sarah Hope Angerman of Austin, and Elizabeth Ann Trask (Mrs. Thomas Trask) of Houston; and a great-grandson, Ethan Robert Trask. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Presbyterian Medical Care Mission, 1857 Pine Street, Suite 100, Abilene, TX 79601.