Evangeline Jefferson

Mrs. Evangeline Vickie Jefferson, age 97, of Crawford, passed away on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, in a McGregor nursing facility.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, August 5, 2017, in the Perry Chapel United Methodist Church in Crawford. Pastor Joyce Hall and Rev. Denise Blakely, officiating. Burial will be in the Bible Hill Cemetery near Crawford. A visitation will be held 2 hours prior to the funeral service time.

She was born on December 24, 1919 to the parentage of Will and Josephine Hemphill(deceased) in Crawford, Texas. She was born during WWI and grew up during the era of the Great Depression of 1929 and the devastating horrors of WWII. In spite of these unique circumstances, she completed the segregated Crawford Elementary School. Working in the cotton fields and performing domestic work were the best jobs for Black women at that time. During her middle age, she learned that she had a gift for providing health care to patients at several hospitals in Waco, Texas and to the elderly. These experiences motivated her to pursue her career in nursing and obtain her associate degree as a Licensed Practical Nurse from Paul Quinn College in Waco at the age of 49.

Her inspiring career in nursing lead her to serve as the hospice nurse to Governor Neff of Texas and the Englebreck's of Crawford (owners of the ranch that was purchased by Governor George W. Bush and he also lived there as the President of the United States.

When George W. Bush was president and lived in Crawford, she and Mrs. Margie Thomas (her only living sibling) were interviewed by and later appeared in the Texas Monthly Magazine.

She had 5 brothers, John Norman, Jeff, Willie, Earnest and Benton, all deceased; 5 sisters, Florine, Valree, Gracie Mae, Christene, and Louise, all deceased; her first husband was Julius Jackson (deceased). To this union were 4 children born, Clara, Johnnie, Jean Bible and Billie Joe Allen (deceased). In 1966 she married Oran Jefferson and they were together until his death on September 21, 2013.

She leaves to cherish her memory two daughters, Clara J. Miller of Houston, Louis Jean Bible of Decatur; one son, Dr. Johnnie R. Jackson and wife, Francine, of Ft. Washington, Maryland; 14 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 32 great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Margie Thomas; two grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild are deceased.

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Give her the fruit of her hand, and let her own works praise her in the gates. KJV Proverds 31:10, 28 and 31