LaVerne Jackson Obituary (1931 - 2016)

LaVerne Geneva Prather Jackson, was peacefully called to eternal rest on September 8, 2016, after a lengthy illness. She was born on October 12, 1931, in Laytonsville, MD, the youngest of nine children to the late Darius and Sarah Prather. She was raised on her parents' farm in Laytonsville, where she enjoyed playing outside with her older siblings, riding the horses, feeding the animals, and gathering chicken eggs. LaVerne was educated in Montgomery County Public schools and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1949. On December 1, 1951, LaVerne married her loving husband Benjamin Jackson, of Seneca, MD. From this marriage, they produced three children, Beverly, Lisa, and Brian. She has always been a proud mother and grandmother who took great pride in helping to raise her grandchildren and great grandchildren (even from the wheelchair). She was always willing to help anyone, especially senior citizens. She was considered a family lawyer, private investigator, and legal counselor all in one! LaVerne has always been a devoted church member. She grew up in Brooke Grove United Methodist Church, where she became a member at an early age. Her favorite pastime was listening to and singing gospel music. She loved serving the Lord in various capacities such as the usher board, teaching Sunday School, the Women's Society, church historian, and creating and directing youth choirs. She was well known for her establishment of "The Young People's Singing Group" (YPSG) which she started in 1975 and later the "Cherubs" in the 1980s. She booked several engagements for the YPSG choir in locations such as North Carolina, Florida, New York as well as local churches throughout the D.C. area. With the help of Vivianne Baskins, she also directed plays such as "The Pied Piper" and "Gospel in the New Land", which included participants that she recruited from several local churches. She also loved supporting and following her husband's choir the "Seneca Gospel Chorus". LaVerne worked for many years at Montgomery County Public Schools as a teacher's aide and then a social worker for the Head Start until she was suddenly stricken with Multiple Sclerosis in 1977. Confined to a wheelchair and with still two young children to raise, she was determined to regain her strength and overcome this disease. She rehabilitated herself back to almost 100% and was able to live many years with only mild symptoms of the disease. Although she was suffering with pain throughout the years, she always smiled and never complained. LaVerne leaves to cherish her life and memory her devoted husband, Benjamin D. Jackson; her devoted children, Beverly Melvin (Robert), Lisa Hall (Terrance), and Brian Jackson (Zena); ten grandchildren, Sherelle, Sheree, Ryan, Jamel , Zeona, Zaona, Tyler, Andre, Brielle, and Zarek; five great-grandchildren, Rayshelle, Raymond, Rayana, Janae, and Aiden; two sisters, T. Bernice Howard and Marjorie Johnson; seven sisters-in-law, Virgie Prather, Jestina Stewart, Ethel Wilson, Alberta Johnson, Mary Alice Young, Helen Jackson, and Madeline Jackson; three brothers-in-law, Clarence Jackson, Paul Young, and Theodore Jackson; two godchildren, Shawn Frazier and Clifton Johnson, Jr.; and a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.