Gary Michael Jackson was born in Oklahoma March 3rd, 1945, the 4th of Seven Children. From a young age, Michael or“Mike” as he was known to friends and family, had two distinct traits that defined his life: His health, and his faith. From a very young age Michael had unusual health problems that plagued him his entire life, from stomach ulcers to a lazy eye.  Perhaps  because of that,  or because of his family, he also had an unshakeable faith in and love for God, which also impacted and affected his life and the people around him for the better. It started with a 2-year-old Mike sneaking in to Vacation Bible School, after  having followed his older siblings,  and crawled up the stairs, into the church. 

First dedicating his life to Christ at the age of 6, Michael would go on to become a practicing Southern Baptist preacher at the age of 17. He brought his faith with him into college, where it was remarked that his only vices were praying,  reading his Bible too much, and drinking too much coffee. While at a party off campus he met the love of his life, Patsy “Pat” Belcher.  He was smitten nearly instantly. The only two obstacles were that she found him obnoxious, and talkative at first, and that he was still engaged to his high school sweetheart at the time. But both obstacles proved easily surmountable, and the two were married December 26th, 1965.

After college, Michael and Patsy moved  to  several  cities  in four  states in his pastoral service.  Famously, he would preach for  churches in three years,  in three different states: Oklahoma,  Washington, and Wyoming. They also had a child in each of those States over each of those years: Stephen, Kerry, and Shauna, respectively. 

Michael’s Faith made him an uncompromising and passionate man, which meant that it led him to many places over many years. The Jackson’s rarely stayed any place longer than a year or two depending on where God led him. One thing that never changed however,  was his charity, and his good humor. It’s been remarked that the Jackson children would sometimes come home from school, to some stranger being given a meal, or being helped out of a bad turn. Michael always had a bed, food, or even a handy wrench on hand whenever needed.  In the 1980’s, Michael was the preacher in Jeffrey City Wyoming, an  isolated little town without another for nearly 60 miles 

in all directions.  He would open up the church  as a little rest stop for cyclists traveling through the area .  It is still in operation to this day.

It wasn’t 1991, somewhat coincidentally with the birth of his first grandchild, that Michael founded a church in Laramie wyoming, Snowy Range Baptist Church, and actually settled in one place for some time.  Snowy Range was a church he would continue to run until about the year 2000. 

After leaving Snowy Range, he would found another ministry, Rocky Mountain  Ministries which  he would run right out of his own living room. 

Throughout the years,   he had a passion for  riding, training and trading horses.  Michael was the doer of odd jobs, handyman projects, for  help and for pay.  He would teach his children and grandchildren how to be a jack of all trades in everything from painting, plumbing, horse and canine husbandry, and of course hunting and fishing. In fact,  Michael’s grandchildren had their first rides on a horse  as toddlers when he would put them in the saddle and take them on a brief ride up and down the path from his home. 

In 2009, due to continuing health issues he  unfortunately had to retire from the ministry, but continued to lead an active life. 

Michael’s health problems unfortunately never went away, but he seldom let it slow him down, and always had an hour and a hand to lend, as well as a passion for food and of course for God.

Michael leaves behind his loving wife of 60 years, children, and grandchildren.  He will be missed.