Dr. Alice Elaine Jackson, 69, passed away, Tuesday, August 24, 2021, at her home in Fruitland, MO. A graveside service will be held Saturday, August 28, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. at New Morley Cemetery in Morley, MO. Dr. Gloria Green will give the eulogy and Rev. Kenneth Shoemaker will offer the invocation and benediction. Ponder Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Elaine was born April 29, 1952, in Sikeston, MO, to Curtis Holland and Margaret Helen (Klingel) Jackson. She was graduated from Baptist Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in 1973 and completed her bachelor of nursing degree at Southeast Missouri State University in 1978. Her professional nursing career included positions at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, TN, Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, MO, and a return to her high school alma mater as the school nurse at Scott County Central Schools.

In 1982 Elaine earned an masters degree in Nursing from the University of Texas, followed by a PhD in 1990 from Texas Woman's University. After becoming Dr. Jackson (or Dr. J, to her students), she taught at University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX, University of Arkansas-Little Rock, and mentored the next generation of nurses for 27 years at Southeast Missouri State University, in Cape Girardeau, MO. During her time at Southeast, Dr. Jackson taught pediatric nursing, nursing research, graduate nursing theory, and graduate organizational and system leadership. She also served as director of graduate studies for the Department of Nursing in addition to serving on Faculty Senate, many university committees, and thesis committees. She retired as Professor Emerita of Nursing in 2018.

While educating and mentoring nurses to provide patient-centered care was the focus of Dr. Jackson's career, she was also passionate about learning and mentoring in other areas of her life. Elaine loved to travel, cook, and share stories about both. She was also an avid genealogist, roaming cemeteries and city records to develop a family tree that reaches back eight generations, including photographs and stories from each branch of the family.

Her love of genealogy was displayed in her love for family. She valued connections to relatives both close and distant. This love was most evident in the joy she found in her nieces and nephews. From the birth of her first nephew, Elaine was a dedicated aunt. Her visits home from Texas centered on spending time with them and, as they grew, she planned adventures for them across the United States. Each experience was crafted with a nephew or niece helping plan the itinerary and route and included time for sight-seeing as well as plenty of drive time to discuss the world, their lives, and their dreams. Even when they weren't with her, Elaine kept each niece and nephew in mind, collecting objects that reminded her of them to pass along when she next saw them. From the love she shared as Lane-Lane to the adventure she sparked as a travel partner, to the example she set as Dr. J, Elaine left an indelible mark on her nieces and nephews.

Elaine is survived by her mother, Margaret Jackson; a sister, Martha (Vincent) Cook; a brother, Jim (Deanne) Jackson; two nephews, Bo (Nikki) Cook and Kris (Shannon) Cook; three nieces, Vanessa Cook, Casey (Bill) Evans, and Jamie (Ed) Verkamp; two grand-nephews; and three grand-nieces.

Graveside services will be held Saturday, August 28, at 3:00 p.m. at New Morley Cemetery in Morley, Missouri.

Donations and memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital ( https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude/faq/how-can-i-donate-to-st-jude.html ).