Mary Alice (Burnett) Jackson

Born December 6, 1937 in Fort Gaines, GA. 

Affectionately known as “Sister” by family who knew her growing up.   Named for Aunt Mary Frances (Honey) and Paternal Grandmother Alice.

Mary Alice was a caregiver and strength of her family. She learned to care for her 5 siblings around age 12 as the oldest sibling.  She started working in cotton and peanut fields about age 15 when her youngest sibling was older.  At an early age she joined Kennon Grove Baptist Church family.

She attended Speight High school through 12th grade. She did not complete school in order to work and help support her Mother and siblings. 

She lived in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1960s.  She returned to Fort Gaines and worked at Clay County Hospital and Nursing Home as a Kitchen Aide. 

In 1975, she moved to Atlanta. She worked as an inaugural employee for the Marriott Marquis Hotel in the commissary.  She retired in 1996 and returned to Fort Gaines to care for her aging Mother, Lucille Burnett.

She completed 11 grades of High School and stopped to work to support the family. She wanted her family to get an education and be willing to do a hard days work.  She moved to Springfield, Mass in early 60’s to work. She met a lifelong special friend, Lawrence Manns. To this relationship was born a daughter, Bonnie Sue Manns.  

During her life, her family will always cherish her for her gift of caring for her family through cooking big southern meals that brought her family together. She also made sure that everyone had something to open on Christmas.  In 1969 she bought the first house her family had ever owned on Green Street. That was “Sister”.

She married Fritz Jackson in 1969, to this union was born baby Willie Frank who died at birth, and Jonathan Jackson, her 12lb baby boy. 

After her health began to decline, she returned to Atlanta to be close to family.  In 2015, Mary Alice was diagnosed with Lewey Body Dementia.  As the disease slowly ravaged her memory of simple things, she remembered to pray before she lay down to sleep, she remembered to offer food to her care givers and just days prior to her final breath she still remembered to express gratitude by uttering the words “thank you”. 

She was preceded in death by her Father, John B Burnett, Mother, Lucille Jackson Burnett, Brothers, Earnest Burnett (Joyce Bazemore) and Donald Burnett,(Lillian Jordan Burnett) Sister, Johnnie Bell Burnett Allen (Jimmie L Allen), husband Fritz Delayne Jackson nephew, Dexter R Kelly (Jodie) and one infant son Willie Frank Jackson.

She leaves to cherish her memory, two sisters, Nettie Lucille Kelly (James Robert) of Fort Gaines and Betty Sue Smith (Willie James Smith) of Decatur Georgia. A son, Jonathan Jackson and daughter, Bonnie Sue Manns Roache (Steven L Roache); a bonus daughter (niece) Susanne Allen Johnson (Tine), Alexander (Pete) Hamilton, (Cecille) of Ft. Myers Florida;  several nieces, nephews, cousins and  two long-time friends Mamie Dickerson of Atlanta, GA and Florine Wright of Fort Gaines, GA.     

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