Lois Rachel McCormick's Obituary
January 6, 1925 – a cold and icy morning – Ida and Chester Jackson welcomed their only daughter…..Lois Rachel Jackson. Her daddy called her Flissy. She was very close to her older brother, Ross. A baby brother arrived in a couple of years and her duty was to keep an eye on baby “Jiggs”. Lois had straight brown hair cut in the Buster Brown style, then there was Jiggs who had beautiful white/blond curls………………… Her daddy, Chester, also known as “Dandy”, always worked as a foreman for the Texaco Company and the family was moved to several Texaco settlements before setting roots in Monument, New Mexico where they lived for 30 years. Monument had no real town, but it did have a statue at the cross roads of an Indian looking out over the prairie. Lois attended school for grades 1 – 12 in Monument. She always participated in lots of school activities which helped because there were so few students She was the marching band’s tuba player. She was a majorette with a baton, boots & tall top hat with a feather. She was a cheerleader too…………..all at the same time! Lois won a spelling bee with a beautiful prize – a floor lamp. She carried that lamp 2 miles home. We still have her prize! When she graduated it was with high honors-she was valedictorian and in the National Honor Society. After graduation Lois went to Draughn’s Business School in Lubbock. While at the USO one day she met a flyer in the Army Air Corp. He was from Dallas, Texas and his name was George McCormick. He was smitten. She was smitten. They had nicknames for each other; he called her “Cisco”, maybe like the Cisco Kid?? She called him “Hagen”, maybe a play on his middle name of Egan – don’t really know! Upon his graduation from flight school Lois wrote a poem for him- “From Cisco to Hagen” Along with these gold bars, To one so dear, Comes a sincere wish for luck and happiness, through out the years. Both, you so rightly deserve, For earning them as you have, Took courage and nerve To my pilot, I give, your first set of bars- And while you so proudly fly, among the stars, Always think, there is someone down below, Who loves and waits for this flyer – yes, she’s Cisco! Seven months later Lois traveled with George’s parents to Selmon Field in Monroe, Louisiana where they were married September 30, 1944 in the North Chapel by the Army chaplain. Two years later the first baby girl (ever) in the McCormick family was born. There were 10 boys on George’s father’s side + George had 2 brothers. The baby was named Nancy Ann. Shortly after George was sent to Korea. Lois and Nancy lived in their small rent house on Velasco. Several years later upon Georges return they bought their first house on Yosemite Lane. Nancy was in school now so Lois took on outside activities. She helped form the Yosemite Lake Garden Club and was a member for 30 years. She studied and learned much about floral design and won many awards including blue and tri-color ribbons in the Dallas Garden Shows. Always into self improvement Lois took several courses in public speaking. She was always a helpmate to bolster George’s growing insurance business as well as always being a cordial & creative hostess for business and social occasions. Lois took up golf so she and George could play together, then became more and more proficient – even making a hole-in-1 at Lakewood Country Club and another hole-in-1 at Eastern Hills Country Club. She could sew anything with her tiny black Singer portable sewing machine. Lois and Nancy would go to the sewing center buying patterns to recreate Seventeen Magazine party dresses. She could even combine 2 or 3 patterns into 1 final dress. Each dress was made flawlessly and never looked “homemade”. She probably made 40 formals + dresses for school. Nancy married Stanley Baker in 1966. Lois always called them her kids and considered Stanley as her own son. Nancy and Stanley have 2 children, Kevin and Susannah who were always a joy to her. They called her NANNIE. She loved all 4 dearly. Lois and George built 2 homes and her talent for interior design began to grow. At retirement they moved to Cedar Creek Lake. Many people who saw their home asked her to help them make their homes more beautiful. A new business emerged. She became a registered Interior Designer by the state of Texas in 1993. The new business, Lois McCormick Interiors, grew as she put her touch and talents in many homes. Clients usually ended up being friends. Lois and George were for decades active members of the Munger Place Methodist Church in Dallas, then moved to the Cedar Creek Methodist Church. After George passed away she eventually moved back to Dallas to be near family. Goodbye NANNIE. The visitation for Lois will be from 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM Thursday, November 6, 2014 and Friday, Novmeber 7, 2014. Also Saturday, November 8, 2014 from 08:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Restland Funeral Home. The graveside service for Lois will be on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at Restland Memorial Park at 2:00 PM. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75238
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