The Founder Of Catfish Corner And The Community Mourns The Loss of Rosemary Jackson
Rosemary Jackson affectionately called “Rosie” was born December 14, 1948, in Elkart TX, to the union of the late Loretta and L.C. Gipson.
Rosemary moved to Seattle, WA in 1949 at a very young age (still scooting) with her parents and siblings. She was raised in the Yesler Terrace, attended Bailey Gazzert Elementary, Washington Middle School and Garfield High School. Rosemary married Louis Del Lockhart (deceased) and had one child from that union, Renee Michelle Estill. She married her best friend Woodrow Jackson and of that union were born three additional children, Glen, Evelyn and Joel Jackson.
Rosemary was the seventh in line of 11 children. Being considered one of the younger siblings, she was a true stand out in such a large family. Most babies crawl before they walk, but not Rosemary, she never crawled. When she was able to sit up on her own, she began to scoot with one leg to get to wherever she wanted to go. She was always very head strong and strong willed. As a child she would get spankings and would never ever, ever, cry, say “ouch”, flinch or make one sound. You only knew she was crying because tears would just roll down her face. There was a time when her Aunt Fat told her mother, “you need to just stop spanking her because she is not going to cry”. She made up in her mind not to cry and she did not. This was one of the many signs, she was going to be a ‘stand out’ person and create her own path in life.
After high school she started a singing group named The Fluorescents, which consisted of Bonnie Chapman and Carolyn Porter aka Kibibi Monie. This group was very popular and sang in several locations in the Seattle area. She was also a member of the Adult Choir at Beacon Hill 1st Baptist Church.
Rosemary worked at Pacific Northwest Bell for seven years. In 1985, she and Woodrow opened up the legendary original Catfish Corner. She put her blood, sweat and tears into ensuring Catfish Corner was top notch. So much so, the restaurant won multiple awards at the various festivals, was featured in numerous media platforms including The Facts, The Medium, radio, TV, and even hosted several boat cruises around Puget Sound. Of course we can’t go without mentioning her incredible creative ability, of which we all got to experience with Rosie’s Smarter Tarter. This is a testament her hard work and determination paid off. She was blessed to pass on her knowledge to her grandson Terrell, who is carrying the torch for his grandparents of maintaining the operation and legacy of Catfish Corner, which is now known as Jackson’s Catfish Corner.
With all the success of Catfish Corner, Rosemary was more than Catfish Corner. She enjoyed trips to Las Vegas and Reno NV, fishing and spending time with her family. Rosemary and the family would take road trips to Disneyland, San Francisco, Texas and Louisiana. She was also an amazing cook and this trait, has passed down to her children. From the family sleep-overs at the home on Beacon Hill, to the one that would get the Electric Slide going at family gatherings. She so loved and enjoyed being around her family. There were several times where the whole Gipson clan spent the weekend at their home on Guemes Island in Anacortes WA, where they would all bask in the joy of eating her famous Lemon Lush pies, along with many other delicious dishes.
Everyone knew when they saw Rosemary, she would be color coordinated from head to toe, including her jewelry, hair was always on point, always smelling good wearing that White Diamonds perfume, a bougie diva with a lead foot. She was always extremely clean and meticulous and hated flies in her home and the restaurant and would stop whatever she’s doing to kill that sucka. If you were ever at the restaurant on MLK Jr Way and East Cherry Street, you heard her in a sweet voice say “excuse me” and with a totally different tone say “close that screen door, don’t you let no flies in here!” and then back to her sweet voice, she would smile and say, “what will you be having today?”.
She was a beautiful woman full of integrity who wanted everything done right. It didn’t matter who you were, she treated everyone the same when it came to work ethics. All would agree to that, because she even fired some of her own family members. She was also very generous to those in need and did a lot of things for people without telling anyone. She did things out of the kindness of her heart and not for people to see.
Rosemary gave up her battle to the Lord on March 3, 2024 because the battle was not hers, it belonged to the Lord. Her illness was draining and taxing on her body, but she endured the challenge. She was a strong woman of purpose, which left behind a legacy, alongside her husband Woodrow of 57 years. Rosemary was a true pillar of Seattle, WA. She was a woman that fought a good fight and through it all kept her faith in the Almighty God.
Rosemary is survived by her husband Woodrow Jackson; Children Renee M Estill, Glen Jackson, Evelyn Jackson, Joel Jackson, Sister Margaret Louise Livingston (Raymond), Sister Bobbie Golden, 13 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren, along with a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
