Bruce Martin Jackson

Bruce was born January 11, 1928 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to John L. and Marian (Higman) Jackson. His father had established a freight line and this business caused them to live in several towns in Eastern Iowa as well as a few years in Chicago, IL. He lived in Davenport and Waterloo as well during this period. After getting out of the freight business, the family relocated to the Black Hills of South Dakota where members of Bruce's father's family lived. Although he only lived there a couple of years, Bruce developed a lifelong love for the Black Hills and visited there many times throughout his life. After the stint in the Black Hills, the Jackson family moved back to Iowa and settled in Waterloo for the rest of their lives. Bruce attended Jr. and Sr. High School there and graduated from West Waterloo High School in 1946. He attended Iowa State Teacher's College in nearby Cedar Falls, Iowa for awhile and then went on to Gates Business College in Waterloo. Right after graduating high school he enlisted in the U.S. Army and played in an Army Band for the duration of his service. In 1954, he was married to Nancy Ann Harr on July 18th in Sparta, Wisconsin. To this union were born five children: Steven, John, Marianna, Beth Diane, Timothy Paul and Terry Byron. During these early years the family lived in various towns in Eastern Iowa: Waterloo, Oelwein, Maquoketa and Burlington. He always worked in data processing beginning with several years at the Chicago Great Western, Clinton Engines Corp., J.I. Case and the Iowa Army Munitions Plant. In 1968, the family relocated to Colorado where he lived the rest of his life. He retired from the Rocky Flats Plant in 1988 and greatly enjoyed his retirement years. Bruce had a lifelong love of music and sang for many years in Barbershop Quartet chapters-first in Burlington, Iowa and after moving to Colorado, the Mile-Hi chapter in Denver for awhile and was a charter member of the Denver MountainAires chapter. He enjoyed playing golf and was a loyal fan of the Denver Broncos and the Colorado Rockies. With wife Nancy, many hours were spent hiking trails in the area as well as everywhere he travelled since he always had some kind of a camping vehicle and enjoyed campgrounds more than motels. He was preceded in death by both parents and his only brother, his daughter Marianna and grandson John. Birth: Jan 11, 1928, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Death: Mar 23, 2011, Golden, Colorado