As millions of people mourn, remember and celebrate the life of Michael Jackson, who passed away last week, some Bogalusa residents are especially impacted by the loss. And although they have always kept a low profile about their connection to the man who moved millions with his music, song and dance for close to his entire 50 years, the are now doing what is traditional — paying tribute to a lost family member.

Bogalusa’s Kathleen “Kat” Jackson heard that the King of Pop was in trouble before the story broke that he’d died. Her son, Donnie, called her from the home of Michael’s oldest sister, Rebbie.

“He said, ‘Mama, Michael’s in a coma. He was rushed to the hospital. They might have to do surgery,’” said Kat. “I felt he was going to pass.”

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Donnie works for Rebbie’s husband, who is in real estate.

“He told Donnie that he was glad he was there with her,” said Kat. “That’s a shocking thing.”

Now Donnie and two more of Kat’s six sons are in Los Angeles with the family.

Michael Jackson’s father, Joe, and Kat’s husband, V. J. Sr., are first cousins, she said.

The local Taylor family also descends from a sibling of Michael’s grandfather, said Kat.

She acknowledges that Joe Jackson has a reputation for having been “rough” with his children, but said she didn’t want to judge what she doesn’t know, and that times and ideas about discipline were different when Michael was a young member of the Jackson Five.

Kat said that Michael’s mother, Katherine, known as Katie, is “just the sweetest woman I know.”

“She’s very sweet, and down to earth, just like me and you,” she said.

Joseph and Katie visited Bogalusa as recently as about five or six years ago, said Kat. The local branch of the family has reversed the trip. And not long ago, two of Kat’s boys attended the Jackson family reunion at Neverland.

“Clayton said it was the most fun ever had,” she said.

The Jacksons have kept in contact, but Michael was generally “shy,” said Kat.

“He was just a sweet kid,” she said. “He never grew up in his mind. He was just a nice kid, and he loved children.”

That includes his own, said Kat. And now that he is gone, Katie is first on the list to care for his three children.

“In my opinion, that’s where they need to be,” said Kat. “He was close to his mother. And she has other grandkids. We need to pray to God to give her strength.”