Barbara L Jackson

Barbara Lee Jackson, also known as “BJ” or “Barb,” aged 89, transitioned from this life on February 11, 2026, at Memorial Hermann Hospital Katy, in Katy, Texas.

Barbara was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 10, 1936, to William Edward and Edna Lee Jackson. When Barbara was 9 years old, the entire family moved to northern Wisconsin, where she attended primary and secondary school and college. The entire family faced many hardships in northern Wisconsin, compounded by the fact that they were the only African-American family to inhabit that area for over 50 years. Yet they overcame them all, forging a path for uncomfortable acceptance and familial success. Barbara, herself, became an accountant.

She ultimately moved to Lake County, Illinois, with her three children and gained employment with Ozite Corporation in Skokie, Illinois, and then Abbot Laboratories in North Chicago, Illinois, as an accountant. Later, she became a property manager for the DeBuler Real Estate Family, managing the Rolling Green Apartment complex in North Chicago, Illinois, containing more than 160 units. She continued working there until all of her children graduated from high school and moved on to their own life pursuits. She moved to a property in Saginaw, Michigan, and managed another large apartment complex there.

Finally, becoming homesick for Wisconsin, Barbara moved back to the family homestead in northern Wisconsin. Here, she first worked for another family-owned business as an accountant, then as the town clerk for the town of Webster. After retirement, she took on a part-time job as a customer service representative for the Hole-in-the-Wall Casino. One of the most dynamic events in Barbara’s life was building her cabin on the family homestead. Upon moving back to Wisconsin, Barbara found herself renting a house for a home. However, she wanted a home of her own on the portion of the family homestead that was portioned for her. But, how would she get it? She prayed, and God answered, “Cut down a tree!” Hence, with rudimentary tools from the pioneer days initially, she selected appropriate trees, marked them, and began to cut a tree.

Her children and grandchildren would travel to the homestead every summer and help. They cut down trees with the old-style, two-man pull saw (a couple of years later, they finally obtained a chainsaw). They cut down the trees and peeled off the bark in the summer, moved them to the proposed cabin location, and let them season over the winter. Eventually, her brother and some of his friends joined the project and erected the cabin. She named this cabin, “The House That God Built.” Barbara has always been a social butterfly.

She had a genuinely warm smile for everyone she met. She loved people and nature. She loved going to the movies, especially Disney and religious films. She enjoyed attending live plays as well as ones later recorded for television or movie theaters. Barbara was a steadfast yarnsmith. She was constantly knitting or crocheting something. She made hats, booties, scarves, sweaters, dresses, coats, grocery bags, and huge, elaborate afghans. She could make anything out of yarn with her knitting needles or crochet hooks. She planted a raised-bed vegetable garden. She grew flowers around her cabin and plants inside the cabin. Some other favorite pastimes of Barbara were Sudoku and working huge, impossible puzzles. The more pieces, the better - 1000 pieces or more.

Her greatest joy was spending time with family and friends, playing games such as Mexican Train (with dominoes), Pinochle, Canasta, and Mille Bornes, among others. Barbara had strong faith and valued her relationship with God. She was never ashamed to speak about her faith with anyone. In her senior living community, she shared her faith in weekly Bible studies. Barbara had been a teacher of all age groups in the church at one time or another, ordained as a Pastor of Thy Word Reformation Institutional Church, Inc., and accepted as the Honorary Mother of her current church family - Greater Love Outreach Ministry. She was the founder and hostess of the Gospelfest held annually in Danbury, Wisconsin, for several years after she returned to the family homestead. A significant saying of hers to believers, young and old, was always, “Rehearse your Faith!”

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, William Edward and Edna Lee Jackson, her brothers, Alfred Wilson III, and William Edward Jackson II, and her sister, Edna Louise Coston.

She is survived by her children, Candy Lorraine Moses, Roxanne Torrence and husband Tyrone Camel, and Bruce Edward Jackson, her grandchildren, Aquantina and husband Jefferson Smith, Eldridge Jr. and wife Stephanie Moses, Danielle and wife Ashley Moses, Monet Camel, Brandford Camel, August Jackson, Jack Jackson, and Qichu Jackson, her great-grandchildren, Kylin Moses, Naomi Lee, Thairone Moses, Jefferson (J2) Smith, Austin Lee, Langston Smith, Chase Moses, Savannah Smith, William Smith, Mariah Moses, Marlie Moses, Raelle Moses, Tristan Daniel Camel, and Chloe Wren, her nephew Craig Coston, her nieces Langley and husband Sherman (Derek, Noah, Asia, Lyric), Angelica Jackson-Vogel (Anasatasia, and Nadia) and countless other cousins, and friends.

An Inurnment will be held at Hillcrest Cemetery, Danbury, WI, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 11 A.M.

Arrangements were entrusted to Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed online at swedberg-taylor.com.