Warren Alfred Jackson Obituary

Warren Jackson
June 3, 1932 • March 16, 2025  

Warren Jackson died peacefully March 16, 2025 at Citadel Care Facility in Mesa AZ at the age of 92 of natural causes.
A celebration of Warren’s life will be held at the family farm located at 560 70th Ave. SE, DeGraff, MN 56271  Tuesday, June 3 at 2:00 p.m.
Warren Alfred Jackson was born June 3, 1932 in Glasston ND. Warren was one of eight children born to Issac Lowell Jackson and Annie Chapman Jackson. Warren grew up in Glasston and went to St. Thomas High School. He worked for some local farmers in the area to make some extra money during his high school years. After high school, he attended Mayville State College in Mayville, ND on a football scholarship. After a brief stint at Mayville, he went to California for a couple years to work at one of his brother Robert’s (Bob) gas stations. He then returned to ND to marry his wife Jan, of 68 years.
Warren and Jan were united in marriage May 11, 1952 in St. Thomas, ND. On their honeymoon, they went to the Gainey horse farm in Owatonna, Minnesota which was the start of their love for the Arabian horse. They lived on the Midway Stock Farm located between St. Thomas and Drayton, ND. During these years, they were blessed with three  children: Richard, William, and Douglas. During these years, Warren took interest in flying and learned to fly in Grafton, ND where he worked as a crop sprayer and also farmed.
In 1963, they moved to Benson, Minnesota as Warren took a corporate flying job with Tyler Industries. During this time with Tyler, there were moves to Minnetonka, MN, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and back to Benson. In 1970 Warren left Tyler and started his own aviation business - Benson Flying Service. This was primarily a crop spraying service at first but grew into a charter, flight training , maintenance services over the years. At the height of his flying career, there were five helicopters and three airplanes in the crop spraying end of the business.
In 1973 they purchased a farm just south of DeGraff and turned it into their dream Arabian Horse farm. Warren went to work in early mornings and Jan followed for the first few years but retired from the business to focus on her horses and the two young sons that were still at home. Richard at this time had joined the Navy. The Arabian horses also gave then a very large spectrum of friends. As they grew older, they left the frigid temps of the Minnesota winters and spent most of the winters in Arizona.
Warren is survived by his oldest son Richard (Butch), and his wife Donna jackson of Benson, and his youngest son Douglas (Doug), and his partner Cyndi Brink of Glenwood, MN. He is also survived by his granddaughter Janelle Jackson and her partner Mark Jenson, and his great granddaughter Presley of Long Beach, CA. He is also survived by his dear and very special partner Francis Wilhelmi of Mesa, AZ.
Warren is preceded in death by his wife Janet, his middle son William (Bill) and Tamara Stanton Jackson, and his parents Issac Lowell and Annie Chapman Jackson, and all of his siblings.
Warren was known for his work ethics, great piloting abilities, and his skill riding his horses in the Arabian horse shows. He will be greatly missed by his family and a multitude of friends.