He was my husband, my best friend, the love of my life. He was my whole heart and whole world. I miss him every second of every day and I will until I am with him again. He was a good man and loved by many. He had a kind heart, a strong will and a gentleness no one could ever match. He was the kind of man that you either really liked or not. There was no in between with him. 

When I first met Ralph I worked with him at the Farmers Exchange in Creedmoor. I was fresh out of high school and never in a million years would have thought I could fall in love completely with a man that was 24 years older than me...But I did. No one believed our relationship would last but it is still lasting even though we are in two different places right now, the love is still lasting. I could not get up and face the day each morning if he were not a part of my life. He gave me strenght, purpose and taught me that I was important, he gave me a "backbone" so that I could stand up for myself and for him when the time came.

He has five children. Each child is different and he loves them 100% for who they are. He has never tried to change them but tried to be there to advise and help them in any way that they need. His youngest daughter asked my once if I would love her Daddy even when he was old and I said "Yes until I draw my last breath."

Ralph loved completely or not at all. He was the baby of his family and was born when his Mom was 38 so all his siblings were much older than he was. He grew up close to his nephews who looked up to him. He loved to play ball and said he retired from it because "all the guys who played with him got too old to play." it was a full team of Jackson's. He loved to hunt and fish. He especially loved to do this with his oldest son Darrell and his nephews, Donnie, Mike, Jerry, Ronnie Kent, Mike and others. The first cold spell of weather he would be like his hunting dogs ready for the hunt to begin. I would sit at the table in the mornings when they were drinking their coffee and getting ready to go so that I could listen to the plan for the day. Then I would be there when it got dark, ready with a hot kettle of water so they could drink coffee and I could hear the story of how the day went. Then I would spend hours after supper helping him look for lost dogs so they could get up and do it all again the next morning.

When I met him and he flashed that killer smile with that mischevious twinkle in his eyes I melted completely and forever became his. He asked me to marry him after we had been dating for about 2 or 3 weeks. I thought he was crazy and he kept asking for 8 years until I said yes. That was one thing I wish I had done quicker but the dating was amazing so I wouldn't want to change a thing. We slipped off after we got off work on February 6th (friday) and by 4:13pm I was his wife. A title I will carry until I draw my last breath.

Today it's been 3 years since he went to heaven and my prayer is that when it's my time to go....i go in my sleep so that I can wake up in his arms.....

I have so much more to write and add to this and I will a little later......