"Val" was born on a small farm outside of Casselton, North Dakota July 14, 1923 to Adelaide and Albert Matthey.  She was the first of four children, followed by Charles, Allyn, & Connie. After High School, Val attended State Teachers College in Moorhead, Minnesota and began work as a teacher. In the early 1950's she met and eventually married John Norval Jackson, an up-and-coming petroleum engineer who would show her the world.  They lived in Venezuela, Australia, Singapore, and Indonesia and eventually retired in 1984 and resided in Houston, Texas.  Their two sons, David and Dean started families.  They very much enjoyed being grandparents and they also continued to travel all over the US and the world. Val lost her beloved husband in 1999 to cancer.  She was 97 years young when she died on March 11, 2021.

She was preceded in death also by her brothers Charles Matthey and Allyn Matthey (& his wife Lucille).  She is survived by her sister, Connie Olsen & her children (Lisa, Carrie, & Jason); sister-in-law Jane Matthey  (Charles' wife) & her children (Rick & Leslie); Allyn & Lucille's children (Bruce, Paula, David, Michael, Phillip, Anne & Allison). She is also survived by her sons, David & his children (Chris & Matt) and Dean & his children (Sarah & Ryan) and her two great-grandsons, Ethan & Evan.

Donations in Val's memory can be made to Highland Hospice.