Elzena Hampton Jackson

Elzena Hampton Jackson, 83, of Preston, Mississippi passed on Saturday, May 17, 2025 from Ochsner Stennis Hospital in Dekalb, Mississippi. Funeral Services will be held 11;00 A.M. Saturday, May 24, 2025 from Oak Grove M.B. Church in Preston, Mississippi. Burial will follow in Anderson Jackson Sr. Memorial Cemetery in Preston, Mississippi. Visitation will be held 10:00 A.M. - 10:45 A.M. Saturday, May 24, 2025 from Oak Grove M.B. Church. Beck Funeral Home Dekalb is in charge of all arrangements.

Elzena Hampton Jackson, born August 21, 1941, in DeKalb, MS, was sent to her eternal home on May 17, 2025, due to illness. She was the daughter of the late Jimmy T. and Addie Lee Turner Hampton. She graduated from Whisenton High School in 1960, and on July 3, 1960, she married the love of her life, Matthew L. Jackson. They became proud parents of a son, Cyrus Jackson.

Marriage and family did not deter Elzena from pursuing a career outside the home. Aspiring to teach, she enrolled in Early Childhood Education classes at Mary Holmes Community College and East Mississippi Community College. She made notable contributions in preparing students for the public school by becoming a preschool teacher with the Kemper County Head Start Program. After 19 years of committed service to education, she resigned from Head Start. Elzena put her attention to detail, precision, and organizational skills into action with Wells Lamont Industries in Philadelphia, and later, the Richardson Battery Division of Witco Corporation, also located in Philadelphia. Following the full-time employment outside the home, she became a full-time homemaker. With that role, she gave additional attentiveness to Matthew and Cyrus and her grandchildren, “Kim”, “Mickey”, Elijah, and Q’rina.

Psalm 51:10 says, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. It was one of Elzena’s favorite Bible scriptures. With sincerity, she displayed attributes of love, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and great self-control. She constantly sought a relationship to align herself with God’s will. Her right spirit motivated her to be highly active in church and community activities.

As a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church, she served as a Deaconess, was the Sunday School Primary Class teacher, served on the Mothers’ Board, the Program Committee, the Hospitality Committee, the Home Mission Society, the Mass Choir, and a Praise Team was named after her – the Elzenettes. She was also a member of the Daughters of Praise, an organization comprised of ladies from area churches that focuses on the needs of individuals in their communities.

Her involvement in the community and the county included helping put in motion the use of the old Preston school building as a Community Center, promoting the use of Oak Grove Church as a Head Start Center, serving on various committees and programs for the Kemper County NAACP, and supporting voter registration drives. She had a humble character, but could become coercive on matters of fairness, as seen in her willingness to march and boycott in a protest to move an administrator from one school to another.

Elzena was a shining light in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her journey on this earth was marked by love, compassion, and an unwavering faith in God. Her passing has left a void in the hearts of her family, friends, and many more individuals whose lives were touched by her. She will be remembered not only for having a clean heart and a right spirit within her, but also for the profound impact she had on the lives of those who had the pleasure of knowing her.

Elzena was predeceased by her parents, Jimmy T. and Addie Lee Hampton; an infant son Christopher Jackson; one sister, Addie Georgia Hampton; and two brothers, Willard and James Hampton. Family left to share the love and memory of Elzena include her husband, Matthew L. Jackson; son, Cyrus K. Jackson; four grandchildren, William (Nichole) Tate of Huntsville, AL, Kimberly (David) Yeates of Starkville, MS, Elijah Jackson of Preston, MS, Q’rina Jackson of Van Nuys, CA; three great-grandchildren, Layla Tate, Duchess and Corbin Yeates; six sisters, Ruby Hudson of Preston, MS, Lena Jones of Sahuarita, AZ, Lucille McIntosh of Decatur, MS, Mamie (Henry) Morris of Milwaukee, WI, Doris Hampton of Meridian and Betty (Curtis) Creer of DeKalb, MS; two brothers, Jimmy L. Hampton of Meridian, MS, and Ezra Hampton of DeKalb, MS; one sister-in-law, Barbara Thames of Aurora, CO. She also leaves many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who will sadly miss her.