Norma Ruth “Jackie” Pearce passed away on August 11, 2014 at the age of 90.
She was born in Blanco County on August 9, 1924 one of seven children born to Clyde L. and Tempie Maddox Gipson. According to her brothers, she was nicknamed “Jackie” because of a stubborn streak.
For the first few years, Jackie rode 4 miles on horseback to attend school in Johnson City. Jackie remembered being taught elocution from Lyndon Johnson’s mother. She graduated from Johnson City High School in 1941 and later attended Nixon Clay Business School in Austin. From there she was recruited to go to Washington, D.C. and worked for the United States Department of Commerce for the duration of World War II.
Following the war, she returned to Johnson City where she met George Pearce of Carrizo Springs, who had also just returned from the war. They married in August of 1947 and settled on a ranch east of Johnson City.Soon after, a son, George Junior, and a daughter, Patricia Ann, were born. As a ranch wife, Jackie did everything from raising calves, to helping bale hay, or being part of a windmill crew, in addition to feeding her family and maintaining a household. She was a loving and kind Southern lady. After her children were grown, her house was always open to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, welcoming them with homemade goodies. Jackie was a life-long member of the First Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, George Sr., by her daughter, Patricia Ann, by her brothers, Curtis and Frank Gipson, and sisters, Winona Austin and Ada Nell Devers. She is survived by her son George Jr., and his wife Marta, of Johnson City; brothers Jim Gipson, and wife Nita, of Buda; and Bob Gipson, and wife Kathye, of Austin. She is also survived by grandsons Jason Pearce, Brooks Pearce, and his wife Amber, and Travis Pearce, step grandchildren Susana Duarte Thorne and Manny Duarte, and three great grandsons, Jaron, Cash and Brooks Allen Pearce, and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was 5:00 – 7:00 PM Thursday, August 14, 2014 at Crofts – Crow Funeral Home in Johnson City where funeral services were held at 11:00 AM Friday morning. Interment followed in the Masonic Cemetery, Johnson City.
1 photo attached to this article.
More from Obituaries.
