By Nancy Jackson
Darlene Horner’s Daughter
Darlene Horner was born on July 28, 1929 in Wesson, Mississippi to the union of Henry West Sr. and Leona Newsom. She was raised in Wesson, the eldest of five children and was educated in the Mississippi Public school system. Darlene attended Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Hazlehurst, Mississippi where she gave her life at a young age to Christ.
In the late 1940s Darlene moved to Chicago Illinois, where she joined Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church. She held various positions in the church. Darlene also held a position as a Chicago police dispatcher for the Chicago Police Department.
In 1947 she was married to Adrell Jackson.
Around about 1985 Darlene moved to Madison, Wisconsin. She was a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church and would from time to time visit SS Morris African Methodist Church, where she would sing her Dr. Watts songs.
Darlene was long time leader in Vera Court neighborhood and the larger Northside Madison community. She worked with the City of Madison and the Future Madison Funds to purchase and improve the apartment complexes in Vera Court. She organized and led the Vera Court neighborhood association and helped create the Vera Court neighborhood center. She was a founding member of the Northside Planning Council and help lead the effort to build Warner Park Community Center and create Troy Community Gardens.
More importantly, she was Big Mama, all day every day!! To hundreds of people who sought her help, especially children, those were her babies. Her home was the neighborhood center, the food pantry and the social work office. She was her communities’ most fearless advocate and hardest worker. She was a tireless source of help and inspiration to all who knocked on her door.
Darlene leaves behind her sons Stewart (Brenda) Jackson, Richard Jackson, and one daughter Nancy Jackson; a sister Dorothy (Will) Williams. Darlene also leaves behind 20 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, and 7 great great grandchildren. Along with a host of nieces and nephews, she also leaves behind 30 foster children.
Darlene was preceded in death by her mother Leona Newsom, father Henry West, brothers George Thomas West, Concella West, and Henry West Junior; and two sons Stanley Jackson and Rufus Jackson, and a grandson Stanley Rae Jackson Jr.