Portland observer., January 04, 2017, Page Page 13, Image 13

anuary 4, 2017
Page 13
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In Loving Memory
Naomi Jackson Houston
In Memory of
Naomi Jackson Houston went home to be with the Lord on Dec.
11, 2016.
Naomi was born Dec. 28, 1928, the second child of Columbus and
Hattie Gray Jackson. She grew up in Saline, Louisiana and graduated
from Shady Grove High School in 1947 with high honors.
She gave her life to the Lord and united with Shady Grove Bap-
tist Church. She loved singing and was a part of The Jackson Sing-
ers with her dad, sister Ruth, and first cousins, travelling across
Louisiana.
In 1945 she married the late Minister Phene Houston and relocated to Portland. They
had four children, three daughters and one son.
She united with Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in 1952 and served as a Sun-
day School and Missions teacher, choir director, and financial secretary. She later joined
Greater St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church to support her son, who served as pastor.
After he relocated out of state, Naomi returned to her home church, Morning Star.
She worked at the Bohemian Bakery for 10 years, before starting work in the Portland
Public Schools’ Early Childhood Education Program while taking night classes at Portland
Community College and then transferring to Portland State University. She retired after 32
years of service and briefly moved to Louisiana for six months to care for her mother until
her death.
Returning to Portland, she was a proud grandmother, raising her first and spending time
with all of her grandsons. The neighborhood children called her “Grandma” and she was
often baking her famous German Chocolate Cake and fried children on any given Sunday.
She served as the Missions President for the Union District Baptist Association of Oregon.
She was preceded in death by her parents, one infant daughter, two brothers (Luther and
Larice Jackson) and one sister, Ruth Jackson Bradford.
She leaves to cherish her memory: son, Pastor Robert Earl (Jessica) Houston of Frank-
fort, Ky.; daughters Nora J. Houston and Phyllis (Tim Sr.) Houston Smith of Portland;
sister Nancy Smith of Portland; nine grandsons; 24 great grandchildren; and a host of
nephews, nieces, cousins, relatives and special friends.
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