Elder W. Jackson, age 88 of St. Peter, died Saturday, November 29, 2008 at the Benedictine Living Community in St. Peter.

Memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, December 5, 2008, at First Lutheran Church in St. Peter with Rev. Alan Bray officiating. Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery, St. Peter. There will be time to visit with the family following the service on Friday. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred. St. Peter Funeral Home-Klein Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Elder was born on February 21, 1920, in Rosholt, SD to Algot and Minnie (Tedin) Jackson. He grew up in South Dakota and attended West Central School of Agriculture in Morris, MN graduating in 1939. He went on to attend Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter graduating in 1945. He was united in marriage to Renee Odeen on August 22, 1946, at Arlington Hills Lutheran Church in St. Paul. Elder attended Augustana Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois and was ordained a Lutheran Pastor in 1948.

After seminary, Elder was a pastor in Wheaton, MN for one year. He then served as a missionary in Tanzania and Kenya, East Africa from 1949 until his retirement in 1985. After retirement he moved to St. Peter and then became an assisting pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Mankato until 1992. Elder was active in the St. Peter Kiwanis Club. He served on the board of Friends of Linnaeus Arboretum. He was an active member of First Lutheran Church in St. Peter. He enjoyed gardening, reading, hunting, traveling, and especially spending time with family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Renee Jackson of St. Peter; children, Dean (Tricia) Jackson of Coon Rapids, IA, Joel (Susan) Jackson of St. Peter, Beth (Jim) Crawford of Northfield, Kim (Birdie) Jackson of Waverly, MN, Martha (Anthony) Mascarenhas of St. Peter, Deborah (Paul) Andros of St. Peter, and Jill (Scott) Grill of St. Peter; 18 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; siblings, Carmon (Audrey) Jackson of Fergus Falls, Delores (Calvin) Bertram of Rosholt, SD; sisters-in-law, Bonnie Jackson of Rosholt, SD, and Ruth Jackson of Eagan; also many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Elder was preceded in death by his parents; an infant son; brothers, Leland and Glenys Jackson.