The name Ida Essiejane Burton Dixon has been the topic of discussion in the Jacksonville community because she has a birthday coming up next month…the big 100! Members of the community that have lived that long have seen many things change and grow. People look to them for wisdom and guidance, and they see the world in a completely different light.
“I feel good about it because I know it’s the Lord. I know He has blessed me to be able to live this long and to be able to go on about doing my work. To be able to go to church and give Him praise. Oh yes because I know it’s Him that is keeping me because all of them but my age has gone on,” Ida explained.
Jacksonville is the place she calls home, but Dixon is originally from Stella, NC; a small town in Carteret County with a population of a little over 2,400 people. She was 1 of 18 siblings. Two of which are still alive.
In her earlier years she worked on a farm, but later in life she began working on Camp Lejeune Military Base where she met her then husband of over 80 years, David Richard Dixon, until his death in 2023. The family says they can see that losing him has had an impact on her but it hasn’t stopped her from giving back to her community.
“Dixon’s husband died last year so he unfortunately isn’t getting to experience her milestone. That was a huge loss for her. They spent their whole life together. We’ve seen her change over the last year, so doing this party and celebrating her life is definitely what she needs. She is not depressed or anything like that, but it’s hard for anyone to take a loss like that,” Barnville explained.
During their marriage the couple opened up a store on Piney Green Road called Dixon’s Gulf Service Station which also was the neighborhood market. Later in life she began working in the school system as a custodian until her final retirement in her late seventies. Since then, Dixon has been a staple in her community serving at two different churches. She is the head mother of the church at Harts Field Primitive Baptist Church and she attends Marshall Chapel Missionary Baptist Church on days her church does not have service. She is also in the local Eastern Star Chapter. She is very close to her church family, according to her granddaughter Jessica Barnville, the members often spend time with her in her home.
“She retired in her late seventies. She didn’t even want to retire because she loved it so much she was like ‘they don’t even have to pay me.’ She goes to church every single time it opens. Even though at her age you would think she was in a wheelchair, but no, she gets around. She drives. She cooks every day. She never eats out, and maybe that’s why. But she never eats out unless we take her out. We know on Thanksgiving she is going to prepare a huge spread for us and the same thing on Christmas. She’s always going to open her doors up to us,” Barnville stated as she laughed.
“I worked until I was about 80 years-old at Commons Middle School. I wasn’t ready to retire, but my sister-in-law was coming out, and I was the oldest one in the system. There wasn’t anybody else as old as me so I said well I’ll come on out too. I felt like I could have given them about 4 or 5 more years,” she said jokingly. “I was in better health when I was working,” she continued.
When she is not at church, Dixon also loves gardening, decorating, and visiting friends and family. She is the mother of three children. According to her daughter-in-law Reddie Dixon, the family plans to have a celebration in Jacksonville for her birthday.
When asked what she would want for her birthday this year if she can have anything in the world, Ida responded, “My birthday wish is that I be able to be in good health and to have all my children there.”
The dinner will be held at the Jacksonville Country Club. During the event, family and friends will be able to talk about their memories with her from over the years.
“We’re going to have a DJ to celebrate her life. She wants to see people dancing and having a good time. Hopefully she will get up too and show us what we’ve been missing for 100 years. So we will eat and celebrate and have people talk about her,” Barnville said.
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