Janet T. Jackson

Janet Tweedlie (Thexton) Jackson was born on September 27, 1932 in Drayton, ND. She was the only child of Harrison and Doris (Grant) Thexton. She grew up on the Midway Stock Farm and attended school in St. Thomas, ND through her sophomore year. She transferred to St. Mary’s in Faribault, MN for her junior and senior year. She served as Class President for the Class of 1950. She also attended the University of North Dakota for 1 year.

Janet (Jan) was united in marriage to Warren Alfred Jackson on May 11, 1952 in St. Thomas, ND. While on their honeymoon, they stopped at Gainey’s Arabians in Owatonna, MN where the seeds of her dreams were sown. Her love of horses was ingrained in her when she was 5 years old. She loved to ride all over the farm.

Warren and Jan moved from Midway Stock Farm in 1963 to Benson, MN as Warren had taken a corporate pilot job at Tyler Industries. There were later moves to Minnetonka, MN and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada before returning to Benson in 1969.

In 1970 Warren left Tyler Industries and went on his own, forming Benson Flying Service with Jan and their three sons. In 1973, Warren and Jan bought a 14-acre farm place South of DeGraff, MN which became her dream horse farm – “Waraja Arabians.” With their two youngest sons, Bill, and Doug in tow, they built a farm that would reach a capacity of 39 horses. Their oldest, Butch, was in the Navy at the time. Jan headed the feeding, breeding, and overall care of her “babies.” She loved to watch her horses run in the small pasture as she drank her morning coffee while getting ready to go to work at the flying service. As the farm grew, Jan decided to resign at the flying service to devote her time to her horses and feeding her dreams. The Arabians allowed them to cultivate long-lasting friendships in the Arabian Horse world; friendships that last to this day. As they got older, they preferred to spend the winter months in Arizona, leaving Minnesota in November and returning in April of the next year.

Jan is survived by her loving husband of 68 years, Warren, sons Richard “Butch” and wife Donna (Davis) Jackson of Benson, Douglas “Doug” Jackson, and friend Cyndi Brinks of Glenwood. She is also survived by her granddaughter, Janel Jackson and friend Mark Jenson of Long Beach, CA. Jan was eagerly awaiting the birth of her great-granddaughter, Presley, in late September.

Jan was preceded in death by her son William “Bill” and wife Tama (Stanton) Jackson, her parents Harrison and Doris
(Grant) Thexton and her parents-in-law Isaac and Annie (Chapman) Jackson.

Jan will be remembered for her yearly Christmas cards, poems, and one-liners. She will be missed by her family and multitude of friends.

A celebration of Jan’s life will be held at the family home, located at 560 70th Ave SE, DeGraff, MN, on September 27, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers , the family asks that donations be made in Jan’s memory to Financial Aid, Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, P.
O. Box 218, Faribault, MN 55021. Please put Jan’s name on the memo line of your check.