Orville J Jackson

Orville J. Jackson 96, of Bellevue, passed away Wednesday, May 16, 2018, at Simpson Memorial Home, West Liberty, Iowa. A celebration of Orvilles life will be with a funeral mass at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 20, at St. Josephs Church in Bellevue. A visitation will be from 2:00 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, at Hachmann Funeral Home and again Monday morning from 9:00 10:00 a.m.Orville was born on May 11, 1922 at Preston, Iowa, son of Ross and Kathryn (Steins) Jackson.He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Bellevue. He received his early education at the Slab Town Country School in Green Island. He later went to barber college in Cedar Rapids.He married Rosella Wagner in 1946 and they were divorced in 1956. From this union they had two daughters, Deanna and Carol. He married Lucille (Hartman) Williams in 1969 and she passed away in 1995. For the past 20 years he had a special friend, Betty Burton.Orville was a licensed barber since 1948 and owned a barber shop in Bellevue for over 20 years. Later he worked as a guard at the Savanna Army Depot. Orville was inducted into the U.S. Army on December 12, 1942 and received an honorable discharge on October 5, 1945 with the rank of Sergeant. He served in Company B, 409th Infantry Regiment, 103rd Cactus Division in WWII and received the Purple Heart, POW medal, Bronze Star, two Battle Stars, French Legion of Honor medal (March 11, 2017) and other service decorations. He was wounded in action and taken as a German POW from 12/2/44 to 4/29/45. His war experiences are documented online in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. Orville was a member of American Legion Post 273 for 73 years. He was presented with one of the Quilts of Valor made by ladies in Bellevue. He was also a member of the DAV and Northeast Iowa Ex-POWs.Orville had a great sense of humor. He could think of a joke about almost anything. He also liked to entertain people with songs on the harmonica, which he learned on his own when still a child.Orville and Betty did a lot of traveling which he really enjoyed. They attended many of his army reunions in various states. He also attended regular meetings of the Ex-POWs which were held in Tipton, Iowa. In 2010 he went on the Honor Flight. He also liked fishing, having a beer with relatives and friends, and spending time with his family and Bettys family.Surviving are two daughters, Deanna (Patrick) Koopmann, Dubuque, IA and Carol Feltes, East Dubuque, IL; seven grandchildren; several great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He is also survived by Betty Burton of West Branch, IA and her family.He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Lucille; son-in-law, Jim Feltes; grandson, Joshua Koopmann; four brothers: Ralph, Ernie, Imo, Archie; one sister, Norma Hilkin; and brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.Deanna and Carol would like to especially thank the following for all the kindness and care shown to their dad: Simpson Memorial Home, Care Initiatives Hospice, Rev. Greg Steckel and the VA Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City.