Life's different paths eventually unite Jacksons

Sometimes another person’s story reminds you of your own, sometimes not at all. Larry Jackson grew up in a family of eight children in Hoopeston, Ill., four miles from the University of Illinois at Champaign. His wife, Sally, grew up in the small towns of Spangle and Rockford and other remote places in Washington state. Her family moved a lot. Before they met, both Larry and Sally had endured the heartbreak of having several loved ones die at a young age.

Life was not finished with Larry and Sally. Larry joined the Marines and as a corporal found himself in the battles of Okinawa. Those were t...