Earl Holt Jackson

Earl Holt Jackson, age 92, passed away Friday, November 26, 2021 in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.  Earl Holt was born December 9, 1928 at the old Pawhuska Hospital to Earl H. Jackson and Gertrude Holt Jackson.  

He attended first and second grade at Union School, third at Franklin School, fourth at the Catholic School, fifth at Prudom School (Skelly Lab), sixth and seventh at Union School again, and finished through high school graduation at Ponca City Military Academy. Earl graduated as Captain at the age of 17 years old. He enlisted in the Navy two months after graduating the summer of 1946 with his best friend, Odell Monger.  Earl went to boot camp at San Diego, California Naval Base Company 238 and CB training (construction battalion) in Oxnard, CA Port Hueneme.

Travel took him from Long Beach, CA along the west coast ending in Alaska.  He was stationed at Atu where he drove a wrecker, dozers and worked on heavy equipment. When he was discharged, he and a buddy hitchhiked from Canada to Bartlesville where he hopped on a bus and rode home to Pawhuska.  Earl went to work for his father at the Packing House Locker Plant. It was during this time that he went to a local parade and saw Alicia Psomas marching in the band. They went on to marry in 1949 and had two daughters, Debra Kay and Gayla Maria.  A second marriage to Sandra Smith produced a third daughter, Christy Louise. 

After attending and graduating from Oklahoma A&M on the GI bill, Earl Holt's career began at the Packing House Market, a family-owned business, where he custom cut meat along with his father. He later worked at the Packing House Locker Plant across the street where customers could store their processed meat, canned fruit and vegetables before household freezers became common.  Earl followed his father to Arizona and continued cutting meat for Safeway, a company which he worked for over 30 years.  Upon his retirement Earl settled in the Tallgrass Prairie and spent time working with meat a little more rare! He donned his jeans and became a cowboy living at the Reed Ranch.

Earl Holt Jackson is survived by daughter Debbie and husband Ron Reed of Pawhuska, Ok, Gayla and husband Jonathan Guinn of Guthrie, OK, and Christy and husband Eddie Sanchez of Amboy, WA. He also has dear family friends Carol and son Bruce Hutchinson of Arizona.  He has 6 grandchildren; Katherine and husband Jonathan Evans, Taylor Reed and wife Laura, Spencer Reed and wife Alyssa; Hillary and husband Donny Driskill, Allison and husband Cody Stites, and Hannah and husband Kevin Ward. Earl had the privilege to be the great grandfather to 14 great grandchildren! What a legacy he leaves behind.  He also leaves behind nieces, Stephanie Bernd, Kathy Dove, Marianne Schroeder, Anna Schroeder, Kevin Schroeder and wife RayeAnne, and cousin Amber Nash, as well as a host of family he treasured. He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Doris Schroeder, nephew Donnie Schroeder, and the mothers of his three daughters.

A celebration of Earl’s life will be held Monday, December 6, 2:00PM, at the First United Methodist Church in Pawhuska.  Rev. Brett Thomasson will officiate.  Interment will follow at the Pawhuska City Cemetery.

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