Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 272102
Title: Jacqueline A. Simons
Date: 8/2/1952-3/10/2026
Inscription/Marks: 8/2/1952
Summary: Jacqueline Alice Simons of Carrington, ND, passed away March 10, 2026, after battling dementia. A Mass of Christian burial was held March 16, 2026, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Carrington.
Jackie was born August 4, 1952, in Fergus Falls, MN, to James Harrison Gibbs and Eva Etta Dillon Gibbs. She was the youngest of three children, with two older brothers, Terrill and Stephan.
Jackie’s early life was marked by great loss. Her mother, Eva, developed stomach cancer and passed away in September of 1957 when Jackie was five years old. After Eva’s death, Jackie and her brothers were placed in the care of Eva’s parents, Robert Warren Dillon and Lydia Alice Cowgill Dillon.
Terrill, the oldest, became unmanageable shortly after his mother’s death, and Robert and Lydia had no choice but to give custody of him to the state of Minnesota. He was placed in foster homes, one after another. When he was of age, he joined the service.
Stephan remained with Robert and Lydia until he graduated from high school in Fergus Falls. He then joined the service and was stationed in the Philippine Islands, where he met and married his wife, Rose. They later made their home in Florida and raised two sons.
Jackie remained with her grandparents until Stephan joined the service and Robert and Lydia were placed in a retirement home in Fergus Falls. At that time Jackie was beginning the ninth grade, and custody was given to her mother’s brother, Robert Dillon Jr., and his wife, Lois.
Robert had just completed a tour of duty in Greenland and was stationed in Duluth, MN. Robert and Lois, along with their four children—Daniel, Roah, Mark, and Timothy—and Jackie moved to Grand Lake, MN. The family lived in a mobile home, and the children attended the Proctor schools. They later purchased a small farm in the Esko area, where Jackie continued her schooling and lived until she graduated from high school in 1970.
After graduating from high school, Jackie underwent open heart surgery at the University Hospital in Minneapolis. She returned home to recuperate for several months before Robert left for his next military assignment in the Philippine Islands. Jackie then spent the summer months in Buffalo, NY, with Lois’s aunt and uncle, Laura and Roy, and her mother Doris. In September she returned to Fergus Falls to visit Lois and the children before they left for the Philippine Islands.
Jackie began attending Fergus Falls Junior College and worked at the City Café and Bakery while living with her Aunt Margaret and daughters. It was during this time that a friend invited her to join a group of friends on a blind date. That evening she met Henry Orlando Simons.
Jackie and Henry were married on March 4, 1972, at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Fergus Falls, MN, just one day after a snowstorm swept through the area.
The couple began their life together in Grand Forks, ND, where Jackie worked at a potato warehouse and a greenhouse while Henry worked at Rydell’s Chevrolet. In 1973 they purchased their first home before eventually moving to Carrington, ND, where they built their life and raised their family.
Jackie worked part time for Herman Doeling CPA while primarily focusing on what she considered her most important calling—being a wife and mother. She raised her two children, Christine and Michael, teaching them to love Jesus and serve others.
Jackie was active in her church community for many years. She taught third grade catechism for many years and was a member of the Altar Society. She supported Henry in many church fundraisers and parish activities and lovingly cared for the plants at the church for a number of years.
Weekends for the family were often spent visiting relatives or traveling in search of antique tractors. Many of those trips meant packing the whole family into a regular cab pickup, loading meals for the road, and traveling long distances—often into Canada—in search of the next tractor to add to the collection. The destinations were sometimes remote and rustic, but the trips became some of the family’s most memorable adventures and helped spark a lifelong passion for antique tractors.
In 1988 Henry and Jackie opened their own business, H & J Machining, an automotive machine shop east of Carrington. Jackie worked alongside her husband as the bookkeeper and administrative assistant, helping manage the daily operations of the shop. The two enjoyed eating lunch together every day and meeting friends for coffee whenever they could.
As their children grew older and Christine left for college, summers increasingly revolved around attending tractor shows and cheering on Henry and Michael at the race track as they worked to squeeze as much power as possible from their Chevelle race car. Jackie was always a supportive presence both in the pits and in the stands.
Jackie had a gift for hospitality and greatly valued her friendships. She enjoyed spending time with her many neighborhood, church, and hobby friends. Whether meeting for coffee or tea, visiting over conversation, or welcoming people into her home, Jackie treasured time spent with friends and family.
She was also known as a wonderful cook and baker. Jackie loved preparing meals and baking for those she cared about, and it was common for friends and family to gather around her table for supper. Sharing food, conversation, and laughter was one of the ways she showed her love for others.
After Christine and Michael left for college, Jackie spent more time enjoying gardening and cross stitching, creating many beautiful pieces that she shared with friends and family. Her yard became well known in the community and was even featured in a local garden tour one summer.
Jackie especially loved being a grandmother to her five grandchildren. After Michael married and started his family, Jackie and Henry enjoyed traveling with them to tractor shows across the United States, continuing the hobby that had been such an important part of family life and sharing it with the next generation.
Jackie is survived by her loving husband, Henry Simons of Carrington; her daughter, Christine (Todd) Anderson; her son, Michael (Kristin) Simons; and her beloved grandchildren, Alliya Anderson, Kassydee Anderson, Zackary Anderson, Sam Simons, and Sarah Simons. She is also survived by her brother, Stephan (Rose); her aunt, Lois Dillon; and many extended family members and dear friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Eva Gibbs; her uncle (adopted father), Robert Dillon Jr.; and her brother Terrill.
Red ID: FND_I_79595 Image ID: 555952 Image Notes: FND001 272102
