Local entities benefit from departed Newton man’s $1.4M contribution

Curt Jackson sold his family farm in Newton for $8,000 several decades ago, and under the direction of a financial advisor he invested it all into a little company known as Apple, and it was thanks to this decision that he was able to accumulate a large sum of funds that have now been donated to several entities.

Four organizations in Newton have been awarded portions of a more than $1.4 million gift from Jackson, a lifelong Jasper County resident who died in March.

Newton Public Library and Newton YMCA will receive $40,000 each, Newton Parks & Recreation will receive $125,000 and Jasper County Conservation will receive more than $1.2 million towards its nature center, making it the largest single contribution the project has ever seen.

Keri Van Zante, director of Jasper County Conservation, said the gift will help finish the basement classrooms and the construction of a handicap-accessible dock. Public and private partnerships like these, she said, improve the quality of life and well-being in the community. The donation will make a difference.

“Jasper County Conservation staff and board members are so very proud that Curt and his family chose to entrust us with this gift,” Van Zante said to Newton News. “We know we will make him proud by creating an education center that will provide opportunities for youth and adults for so many years to come.”

Newton Parks & Recreation plans on using its donation to complete the restroom project for the splash pad. Nick Cummins, park operations superintendent, said Jackson’s generosity allows the city to enhance the popular community space that families and children enjoy every day; his gift “will leave a lasting mark.”

George Sorenson, CEO of Newton YMCA, said the $40,000 will go towards building improvements and renovations focused on children’s programming. He added that Jackon’s gift strengthens the work of the YMCA and will help the facility provide safe and welcoming spaces for kids to grow, learn and thrive.

The $40,000 contribution to the Newton Public Library will go towards digitizing the Newton News and supporting ongoing subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals that Jackson enjoyed reading. Nicole Terry, library director, said Jackson loved learning and valued access to information.

“His gift ensures that library patrons can continue exploring knowledge in ways Curt himself cherished,” Terry said.

WHO IS CURT JACKSON?

Jane Meyer, of Longmont, Colo., said her uncle was a bachelor his whole life, so his nieces and nephews were his children. Meyer said Clifford Curtis Jackson was the youngest of three brothers: Robert, or “Bob,” was the oldest and Harold, known as “Tiny,” was the middle brother. They all grew up in Newton.

“We all grew up born and raised in Newton,” Meyer said. “Curt spent four years in the Army but was back in Newton for the rest of his life.”

Jackson worked as a machinist and foreman at Maytag until his retirement, but prior to that he had tried farming for a few years. Despite his investment with Apple, Meyer said Jackson lived a very frugal lifestyle, which allowed him to accumulate a significant fund set up to support several local and state causes.

He spent many hours at the Newton Public Library reading the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and other newspapers. He also devoured news and financial programming on TV. His obituary said: “Unbeknownst to most people, Curt was one of the best-informed citizens in Jasper County.”

Meyer said Jackson did not travel much, but one of his favorite pastimes was going to Kinnick Stadium with some of his buddies to watch the Iowa Hawkeyes football games. Jackson eventually moved to Park Centre in 2023 and endeared the staff and his fellow residents with his dry sense of humor.

Jackson passed away on March 1 at the age of 88.

Meyer is one of the trustees of the Curt Jackson Trust, which dictated that portions go towards the Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, cancer research at the University of Iowa and other similar foundations. He also wanted to see funding go towards local entities in Newton and Jasper County.

“I was given the ability to decide exactly where to give his money,” Meyer said. “When I was in Newton this past June, I met with the library, the city, the YMCA and Jasper County Conservation. I met with all of them and they talked to me about the projects they had going.”

From there it was deciding which projects Jackson would have liked to see his money go towards. Meyer expects her uncle would be proud of the selections.

“I think Curt would have very much appreciated and enjoyed where his money has gone and what it is working for,” Meyer said.