Joanne Jackson, who lead the Consolidated Agencies for Human Services in Hawthorne through difficult years of recession, died on Jan. 5 of complications following a medical issue.

She was 59 years old.

Her memorial service will be at the Hawthorne Convention Center on Jan. 13 at 11 a.m.

Jackson, the longtime head of the of the agency, will be remembered across the county as a selfless public servant.

“You will not find a more caring, hardworking person, and she’s going to be really difficult to replace,” said Mark Nixon. “She’s done more for the people of Hawthorne. I wish that somebody could stand up there and really tell the story of how much she has done for the people here.”

Nixon served on the CAHS board of directors with Jackson, although his term ended in January. CAHS is a collection of agencies focus on helping people in need, among which are domestic violence counseling and regular distribution of food to the needy.

“In all the dealings I’ve had with her she was just excellent,” Nixon said. “There was not discrimination in anything. It didn’t matter what you’re situation was, she treated everybody equally and fairly and worked harder than most people even think about to make sure that these people were taken care of.”

Nixon wasn’t sure how long Jackson had served as the agency’s head, but he said it was at least five years.

“She worked very hard for Mineral County,” Nixon said.