Jacqueline Hiroko Ludrick is a native of Canada, born in Chemainus, British Columbia. She left Canada when she was twelve years old when her family moved to Itsukaichi, Japan just before World War II began.

There were six children in the family, Mieko (deceased), Hiroko (Jacqueline), Yukiko, Toshihiko (brother deceased), Keiko, and Misako. Fusako was lost in the Hiroshima atomic bombing during World War II. Her father was an employee of the lumber industry and was a professional log board feet estimator.

Jacqueline was interested at a young age in knitting, crocheting, and sewing and asked her mother, Kimiko, to teach her the craft. Jacqueline is the only one in the family that is accomplished in needlecraft and the only one in the family that continued to pursue expertise in this area. While in Canada she attended an English speaking elementary school and a Japanese school at night because the parents wanted her to be bilingual.

Just before World War II started, her father thought that the news was leaning toward a conflict between Japan and the United States. Although they lived in Canada he was certain that the situation would affect Canada as well. Shortly after they arrived in Japan tragedy struck when her father was killed by a passenger train and they spent the war years without a father and without an income. All of the family took jobs in order to survive. Jackie worked in a post office in Hiroshima, her mother worked for a cement company, and the others took jobs wherever they could find work. Fusako and Keiko were too young to work and spent their time in school. Jackie planted a garden along the roadside and shared the produce with neighbors who needed help and the family endured the hardships of not having a father, adequate food supplies, medical care, or safety from the dangers of war.

On Monday morning, August 6, 1945, Jackie who worked at the post office in Hiroshima had the day off. Fusako, an elementary school student, was in school in Hiroshima. At eight o'clock an American B29 loaded with the first atomic bomb approached the city of Hiroshima. The blast leveled a 10 square mile area and completely destroyed the city and all the inhabitants including Jackie's little sister Fusako. Her city of Itsukaichi was spared but she witnessed the aftermath of survivors who sought shelter and aid in Itsukaichi.

After World War II, Jackie went to designing school and became proficient in not only designing everyday clothing but in making high quality kimonos and American style clothing, coats, suits, dresses, and shirts. For a while she made a living for her family and when the U.S. Armed Forces occupied Japan she went to work on the Naval Base in Iwakuni, Japan, a resort city on the main Island of Honshu. She worked for several years as an accountant in the Disbursing Office on the Navy base. It was in August 1954 on this U.S. Navy base that she first met Disbursing Clerk Second Class John Ludrick. For two years they spent much time together at the home with her family in Itsukaichi, which was about 10 kilometers from Iwakuni. John was particularly drawn to Jackie's mother who spoke limited English but managed and struggled to make conversation and to Jackie's sisters. John always thought she was a strong, wise and articulated parent and they immediately became lifelong friends. Chieko, Jackie's niece came to live with John and Jackie in 1970s as a high school student and graduated from Weatherford High School with honors.

Jackie came to the United States in 1958 when she married her husband while he was a student at Oklahoma State University. They were married in the Minister of Health office in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on January 7, 1958 (Two office secretaries were witnesses!). In 1963 she became a naturalized US citizen. Later they moved from Stillwater to Weatherford where John completed his degree in Chemistry. She assisted him during his pursuit of a doctor's degree from the University of Oklahoma. Jackie is a graduate of Southwestern Oklahoma State University with a bachelor's degree in Library Science and Business. She took a position at Custer City as a librarian and English teacher.

When John graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State in 1961 they moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma where he taught in the public school. In 1967 they moved to Weatherford, Oklahoma where John taught for Southwestern until he retired. John and Jackie have lived in Weatherford since 1967 and have been married for 60 years. Jackie has been active in the Methodist Church and has been the president of the United Methodist Women.

Jackie had a wonderful personality and had great compassion for others. She never was reluctant to share what she had or what she created. She made many patchwork quilts for others, many Afghans for new mothers and friends, and even when she was in skilled care she tried to give part of her food to those less fortunate as she. Jackie loved animals of all kinds, spent many hours in their backyard watching the birds in the spring build nests in the six birdhouses and watched as each raised a family. John and Jackie have rescued 37 dogs and cats in their 60 years together and presently have two dogs, Bradley and Daisy, a a house cat name Cali, B.C., a feral cat that lives in the garage, and a neighbor's cat that just hangs around with the pack.

Jackie certainly will be missed by all who knew her, a sweet, loving person who was loved dearly by her husband, John. She is survived by her three sisters, Misako, Keiko, and Yukiko, and her favorite niece, Chieko, and her husband John Ludrick. Also she is survived by a vast number of nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles all of whom live in the Hiroshima, Japan area.