James Melvin Jackson, 86, passed away on Thursday, June 2, 2011,in Brandon.

Mr. Jackson was born in Copiah County on July 18, 1924, to the lateJim and Clara Hutson Jackson. He finished high school andCopiah-Lincoln Junior College in Wesson and entered MississippiCollege in Clinton. He earned his Master of Arts in Educationdegree at Mississippi Southern College in Hattiesburg in1956.

He served in the United States Army during World War II. He retiredafter nearly 39 years of dedicated service to the school childrenof Mississippi.

Mr. Jackson accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior when he was 11years old, being baptized near his church, Sylvarena Baptist, inCopiah County. He was ordained a deacon at Bogue Chitto Baptist in1946.

Mr. Jackson was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Polly;his older sister, Opal Jackson Thompson; and his younger brother,Billy Jackson.

He is survived by his daughters, Marcia Jackson Cloman (Jim), ofMadison County, and Susan Jackson Summy (Bruce), of Katy, Texas;his sister, Helen Jackson Freeman, of Indianapolis, Ind.; sixgrandchildren, Dr. James F. Cloman IV (Allison), of Richmond, Va.,Rebecca Cloman Ryness (Gar), of Los Angeles, Calif., CourtneyCloman Glynn (Mike), of Phoenix, Ariz., Stephen Summy (Annah Mary),of Germantown, Tenn., Erin Summy Martin (Lee), of Brandon, andErica Summy Guillory (Josh), of Pearl; and 10great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on June 6, at the Chapel ofFirst Baptist Church in Starkville. Visitation will be 9 until 11a.m. in the chapel.

Burial is at Wake Forest Baptist Church Cemetery in Sturgis. WelchFuneral Home in Starkville is in charge of arrangements.