Mattie Denise Jackson Selecman
The first child to enter Jackson’s life as the oldest sister of two siblings is Mattie Denise Jackson. She was born on June 19, 1990. Five years after graduating from the University of Tennessee, on October 7, 2017, she married the love of her life, Ben Selecman. Sadly, though, her husband passed away one-month short of the couple’s 1st wedding anniversary. He suffered a traumatic brain injury while on vacation in Florida.
Though she is heavy-hearted, Mattie, 31, has stayed strong and remained optimistic while leaning on her faith. She has been open with others about her painful loss on social media and has written a book called Lemons On Friday that details her heartbreak, the healing process, and hope for the future. Jackson co-wrote the song “Racing The Dark” alongside Mattie to accompany the book release.
Before losing her husband, Selecman, a professionally trained wine steward, owned a wine bar in Nashville called Salt & Vine. She is now a co-founder of a venture called “NaSHEville,” which aims to serve women and children in need – particularly orphans, widows, and trafficked women.
