EAST DUBLIN, Ga. — On Wednesday, the city of East Dublin is remembering a councilman who dedicated nearly his entire life to serving the community.
The city actually lost two councilmen--Dent Jackson, Jr. and Zilmon Young--back in February and March, when they passed away within 12 hours of each other.
While the city has plans to honor Young, they're remembering Jackson by dedicating May 1st as 'Dent Jackson, Jr. Day.'
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the life-long love of Mildred Branham Jackson really helps paint a picture of her husband Dent's impact.
"We've been married 53 years, almost 54, we were friends, he would pick me up going to Sunday school, we would go to Sunday school, and church," Mildred said.
Dent was born in 1938.
"He always stayed here in East Dublin," Mildred said.
He even became the first African American police officer to serve for the City of East Dublin Police Department.
"And then he decided to go into politics, and he has been there ever since 1979," Mildred said.
For 39 years Dent served as a council member at large right up to the day he died: March 1st.
"That's all he ever done was serve the public and serve his family, so it was an easy job for him to get into," Mildred said.
Now the city hopes to keep his memory alive with a proclamation.
"And that really makes me proud, I'm really proud of him, the children they worship their dad, and he worships them too, so May 1st is a wonderful day for all of us," Jackson said.
It's an acknowledgment of his life's milestones and service to the community.
"He loved serving the children, he had a program where he would entertain the children around Halloween," Jackson said.
While the proclamation is meant to honor Dent, Mildred says it really represents how much Dent loved East Dublin.
"He really cared for people, and I think that everybody should know what a wonderful, remarkable man, Dent Jackson, Jr. is and was, was and is, and forever will be," Jackson said.
While they're naming this day for Dent, East Dublin Mayor George Gornto says plans are in the works for the city to honor Young as well. Gornto says an election will be held in November to fill the two vacant seats.