What a wonderful, uplifting obituary. Josephine certainly was a role model for all of us! Thanks for sharing her tribute w/ us. Regards, Connie ----- Original Message ----- From: <RKIEE011@wmconnect.com> To: <KYLAUREL-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 8:44 AM Subject: [KYLAUREL-L] (no subject) > Just thought it might be interesting to someone . this lady had quiet a > life > Arvle George > > Bella Vista Arkansas > Josephine O. Hackett > Mrs. Hackett, a homemaker, civic leader and longtime resident of Bella > Vista, > died on Feb. 22, 2005, at a local hospital. Independent, until she began > to > weaken in the last three days of her life, she maintained her own home, > plus > two pets, with a unique combination of energy, determination, a wonderful > mind > and well-honed faith. > > "God just strung me together right," she always said. > > Known as "Jo," Josephine Olive Johnson Hackett was born Aug. 17, 1904, in > Indian Territory, Okla., in the small town of Chickasha. Her life spanned > 100 > years and 6 months of remarkable living. She was named for her > grandmother, a > woman with great Southern charm and inner courage, who survived, as a > baby, the > burning of Atlanta in the Civil War. > > Early on Jo had the desire to accomplish a lot with her life. As a little > girl, she frequently helped her dad, Ben F. Johnson, a rancher and banker, > round > up his white-face cattle, while riding her Indian pony bareback across the > prairie. At age 12, she learned to play golf and became the youngest > Oklahoma > Consolation Champion. She continued to love the game of golf. > > When she was 15, she bravely traveled to New York City, where she attended > Miss Finch School. Then, in 1929, she received a bachelor's degree in > music from > the University of Oklahoma where she was also president of her sorority, > Kappa Alpha Theta. > > Jo's mother was Mary Alexander Olive. Jo had one sister, Mary Lee Johnson > Gribi. > > Jo was one-eighth Chickasha Indian and very proud of that heritage. > Hearing > family stories of the Trail of Tears helped shape her belief that any > hardship > could be overcome. She developed great inner strength, combined with a big > heart for others. Her "can do" spirit was always accompanied by her kind > manner > and beautiful smile. > > Her positive outlook, her warm loving nature, touched hundreds of people > throughout her life, including her surviving offspring: Josephine, her > only child; > her three grandchildren, Nelly, Matthew and Mary; and her three > great-grandchildren, Hanna, Teo and Anastasia Josephine; as well as her > niece, Mary Jo > Pettit, and numerous cousins. > > She was a natural-born leader, serving on many civic boards in Tulsa, > Okla., > where she and her deceased husband, Arch F. Hackett, lived from the > beginning > of their 55-year marriage in 1932 until their retirement in 1975 to Bella > Vista. Those Tulsa organizations included the Junior League, Philbrook Art > Center > Auxiliary, Garden Club, Children's Day Nursery, Town Hall and Gilcrease > Museum. Jo also had a very successful career in real estate. > > In Bella Vista, where she lived for the past 30 years, Jo continued to > find > interesting projects to which she could offer her leadership skills and > energy. > She was a charter member of the Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista and the > founder of the Bella Vista Living Memory Garden. Jo was recognized as a > "Bella > Vista Treasure," named Outstanding Citizen of the Village in 1988. Last > year > she was made an honorary lifetime member of the Bella Vista Garden Club. > She was > also a member of the 18-Hole Lady Golfers and played golf until the age of > 95. > > Her daughter, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, niece and cousins will > greatly miss her. She was devoted to her family; they meant everything to > her. > They will always remember her caring about them and for them, loving them > so much > and continually encouraging them. She was their biggest fan and > cheerleader. > > Jo especially liked making her famous toffee candy, yet cooking anything > delighted her. She loved giving parties. She sewed beautifully; she > gardened; she > loved working creatively with her hands. She adored animals, watched > sports on > TV and even liked to bet on the Kentucky Derby. At age 97, she and her > daughter attended the Kentucky Derby and she bet on the winner, > Charismatic, and > even got a hug and kiss from Pat Day, a winner himself among jockeys. > > She just plain enjoyed living every one of her days to the fullest. She > added > a special, sweet blend of "life" to Life itself. > > The celebration of Jo Hackett will be held at the Bella Vista Presbyterian > Church, 1880 Forest Hills Blvd., at 3 p.m. March 3, 2005, with the Rev. > Jim > Still officiating. Viewing will take place at the Bella Vista Funeral > Home, 2258 > Forest Hills Blvd., between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. March 2. A private burial > will be > at 2 p.m. March 4, in Chickasha, Okla., at the Rose Hill Cemetery. > > Memorial contributions may be made to the Bella Vista Living Memory > Garden, > c/o Wanda Schrader, 2 Lois Lane, Bella Vista, 72715, or to the > Presbyterian > Church of Bella Vista, 1880 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista, 72715. > > > > > > > > ==== KYLAUREL Mailing List ==== > To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list send an email to: > KYLAUREL-L-request@rootsweb.com > In the MESSAGE type the one word .... SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) > >