Louise M. “Lou” Acker was born on June 16, 1925 in Coosa County, Alabama, died, Friday, November 4, 2011 in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

She graduated from Hicks Memorial High School in Autaugavilla, Alabama, after which time she worked at the Ordnance Depot at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama in 1945.

In 1948 she married Richard N. “Dick” Acker, and in 1949 she and Dick moved to Warren, Ohio where Dick was employed by Packard Electric Division of General Motors Corporation following his graduation from the University Of Alabama School Of Engineering.

In 1972, she and Dick moved to Jackson when Dick was transferred to Mississippi to build and operate the Packard Electric Plants in Clinton and Brookhaven.

While living in Ohio, Lou attended Youngstown University, graduating in 1968 with B.S. degree in Elementary Education.

She lived in Jackson until 1989 when she moved to Madison.

Lou was a loving wife and mother who never met a stranger, and as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow, she was a strong believer in the Rotary Motto, “Service above self, he profits most who serves best”.

She was a Master flower show judge, was a member and past president of the Meadow Rose and Northbay garden clubs, the Jackson Council of Garden Clubs, and the Madison Beautification Commission.

She was a former member of the Board of Directors of Mynelle Gardens, and was instrumental in the establishment of Simmons Arboretum in Madison in 1992, and continued to serve on the Arboretum Committee over the years.

In 2003, Lou was awarded the Madison the City Chamber of Commerce Peggy Wilks Award by Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler, and in 2006 she was awarded the Northbay Good Citizen Award.

She was a member of Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church and a member of the Galloway Ben Fatheree Sunday School Class.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Dick, three sons Steve of Madison, Rick and his wife Debbie of Prattville, Alabama, Jim and his wife Teresa of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, seven grandchildren, Warren and Ryan of Brandon, and Tristan, Shannon, and Fallon of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, Stacey of Prattville, Alabama and Matthew of Clinton, Mississippi, a number of great grandchildren and also many nieces and nephews that she loved dearly.

Funeral services were held 2:00PM Monday, November 7,2011, at Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church. The family received friends from 5:00 – 7:00PM, Sunday, November 6, 2011, at Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home, 1161 Highland Colony Parkway in Ridgeland and from 1:00PM until the service hour on Monday at Galloway Memorial united Methodist Church. The interment followed the services in Parkway Memorial Cemetery in Ridgeland