Loyd George Jackson's Obituary
Loyd George Jackson
1934 - 2020
Loyd George Jackson age 86 passed away at his home is Thistle, Utah on Saturday June 6, 2020 in the home that they build, on the ranch they loved. Present at his passing was his sweet heart Helen Faye Gerber Jackson of 68 years, a handful of his children and grandchildren.
Loyd was born to Elsie Maurine (Hardy) Jackson and William Delbert Jackson on June 3, 1934 in Fountain Green, Utah. There were three boys in his family: Maurice, Boyd and Loyd (identical twins).
Loyd was a man who wore many hats. He started herding sheep with his twin brother Boyd at a very early age. By age 12, Loyd and Boyd owned their own herd of sheep and ran them on a piece of property they purchased together near Thistle, Utah. He spent a lot of his youth moving sheep herd on ranges between Thistle and the West desert. On January 23rd 1953 he married his sweet heart Helen Faye Gerber in the Saint George, Utah temple for time and all eternity. Sheep ranching was a hard life. After they sold their sheep herding business, he worked at the Utah State Hospital. There he was an apprentice and earned his certification as a nursing professional. In 1965, he moved his family to Oakridge, Oregon and worked in the forest product industry. He learned to fall trees, set chokers and worked the landing. Eventually, he worked inside the Hines Mill in West Fir, Oregon for about 2 years. While working at the Hines Mill, he learned that Coca-Cola syrup worked better than WD 40 as a rust eater. He used the syrup to loosen nuts and bolts from the heavy mill equipment.
For the next 23 years, he worked for Pope & Talbot in Oakridge, Oregon. He pulled on both the green chain, and veneer lines, ran the hardboard plant, was an oiler, serviced the planer, ran the DA saw, cleaned in the drying room, was a press board operator, and serviced machinery just to name a few of his skills. Loyd was never a Mill Wright, however he certainly had the skills and knowledge to perform these duties. During this time, Loyd and Faye purchases and ran 2 Shaved Ice business in Eugene, Oregon and on weekend traveled to many summer fairs all across Oregon. This experience was full of fun and was a very adventurous time for their family. In the late 1980’s, the liberals closed down the wood product industries. Loyd then finished his high school education and enrolled in Lane Community College, in Springfield, Oregon to pursue a career in welding, steel fabrication and drafting. There he earned his Associates degree.
In the early 1990’s, Loyd pursued another dream. He and Faye moved back to Thistle, Utah to build a new home on the land they purchased in their early married life. Their farm in Thistle, Utah is where Loyd and Faye wanted to retire, build the home of their dreams, where children, grandchildren and community member could visit and feel welcome. Once back in Utah, he worked for his nephew Bill Neves and son Danny Jackson installing cabinets and learned how to be an interior finishing carpentry.
For about 20 years, Loyd served as the Water Master extraordinaire in the Lake Fork/Birdseye Utah area which included the Strawberry Reservoir, Spanish Fork River, and Thistle Creek water shed areas. The families Loyd served loved him because he was patient, kind, gentle and fair with each of them. He was a gentle giant and was loved because of his gentle ways.
Loyd’s family was a huge part of his life. His philosophy was everyone participates and no one gets left out. He enjoyed teaching their 8 children how to fish, hunt, fall timber, cut and haul wood, fix tractor equipment, cut-bale and stack hay, shoot a gun, hunt arrow heads in eastern Oregon, butcher and process beef, mutton, chickens, pigs and wild game. Many times, he took his family on weekend hiking/camping trips into the high lakes of Oregon. One of his favorites trips was an uncharted compos hike into Bongo lake. Yes, they packed everything in, including a rubber raft and tent.
Loyd is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He loved the Savior Jesus Christ and eagerly served him by helping others. During his spare time, he was instrumental in many fundraisers such as helping run the Willamette Sky Lodge for three winter, helped the branch cut cedar fence posts, and he organized and helped run a full fledges horse logging project so the saints in Oakridge, Oregon could build a chapel to meet in. When all the projects were completed, the stake president asked Loyd, then the branch president, if they could use the money to build three chapel in Oregon. Oh, course he said yes. Across his life time, he served as a home teacher, young men’s president, boy scout leader, a counselor in the branch presidency, and also branch president for five years. Loyd and Faye served several missions in the Spanish Fork Welfare Distribution Center. Together they also serve a mission in the Provo, Utah Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple as weekly ordinance workers. Loyd lived a life of service to his family, the community and to God children. All this service was accomplished outside of his fulltime job as he worked hard to support of his large family.
Loyd was preceded in death by his parents William and Maurine Jackson, bothers Maurice and Boyd Jackson, sister-in-law Leah Jean Gresham Jackson, and son-in-law Donald Workman. Loyd is survived by his sweet heart Helen Faye Gerber Jackson, Terry Loyd Jackson, Wanda Faye Reynolds, Boyd (Cynthia) Jackson, Diana (Dale) Brown, Donna (John) Workman-Seamons, Donald (Teresa) Jackson, Evelyn (Tracy) Cole, Danny (Melissa) Jackson. They have a large posterity: 8 children (listed above), 34 grandchildren, and 70 great grandchildren.
The family would like to give as special thanks to Applegate HomeCare and Hospice for their wonderful professional care and kindness.
Funeral Services will be held Friday June 12th at 11:00 am at their home 14532 South Highway 89, Thistle, Utah (just before mile post 309). If you plan on attending, please bring collapsible lawn chairs to sit on. We will ask families to practice social distancing due to concerns surrounding COVID-19. A viewing will be held Thursday June 11th from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Indianola Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel located at 8060 Indianola Canyon Road in Indianola, Utah. Viewing will be held one hour prior to the Funeral Services. Internment will be in the Spanish Fork, Utah Cemetery.
On the humorous side: If you feel so inclined, you can send fruit trees: apples, peach, pear, and cherries instead of flower in memory of Loyd G. Jackson to their home located at 14532 South Highway 89, Thistle, Utah. Or just bring them with you to the funeral. They flower every year! Seriously, flowers can be sent to the Premier Funeral Services 1160 North 1200 West, Orem, Utah 84057, phone number is 601-960-9150. Or you may donate funds to the Church of Jesus Christ Missionary fund through your local ward in his memory.
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