Polly Jackson

Polly, 96, passed peacefully surrounded by family on 9/18/25. She was born in Appleton, WI and graduated from Tudor Hall School (Indianapolis, IN) and later Bradford College (Haverford, MA).

She met the love of her life, John, while he was stationed with the U.S. Army in Indiana and they were married for 67 years before his passing in 2020. They raised their family in North Dakota and Minnesota and wintered during retirement in Tucson, AZ. Polly will be remembered as gentle, kind and endlessly thoughtful with a "ready smile" -a gracious force who made everyone feel seen and valued.

Polly enjoyed travelling especially to the North Shore and Arizona, lunch with her friends, flowers, needlepoint, and was a voracious reader. She was a lifelong champion of her community through many volunteer and civic organizations including the Junior League, St. Paul Garden Club and the Century Club. 

Devotion to family was at the heart of everything she did, and she never missed the opportunity to be present in the lives of her children, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren. Faith was also a cornerstone of her life, and she remained connected to House of Hope Presbyterian Church online when she was no longer able to attend in person.

Polly is preceded in death by her parents, Frederick and Josephine Abendroth, husband John, and grandson Derek Swanson. She is survived by her sons David (Cynthia) and Peter (Beth), and daughter Lisa (Jim) Swanson, her grandchildren Blake (Lia) Jackson, Carolyn (Justin) Brown, Emily (John) Farrell, Peggy (Sam) Warning, Drew Jackson, and Sara Swanson as well as her great grandchildren Beckett, Zinnia, Lavender, Graham, Adelaide and Ingrid.

Memorials may be made to the St. Paul Garden Club - Perennial Growth Fund. A reception will be held on Monday 9/29, 1:30-3pm at House of Hope Presbyterian Church (Kirk Parlor) 797 Summit Ave, St. Paul, MN 55105.