Mrs. Agnes B. Jones

By Sarah Williams

At a time when the media is filled with distressing news about violence, the light of a brilliant star radiated on April 13. This star is a genuinely beautiful lady who has given so much of herself to her church, her family, people who know her so well, and even strangers. Mrs. Agnes B. Jones celebrated her 90th birthday by hosting a dinner at Crowne Plaza Hotel. The room was filled with well-wishers celebrating a life dedicated to living out God’s word.

Standing: Priscilla Robinson-Ndiaye (left), Pre-Mother’s Day visionary and event coordinator, and Denise Miller (right), Mistress of Ceremonies.

Mrs. Jones’s guests were dazzled by music and songs provided by her son James T. Jones, Jr. and tenor Anthony Turner, choir director at Berry Temple United Methodist Church and a math teacher at Asheville Middle School. The upbeat music by the talented Randy Weston of WestSound was perfect for the occasion. Her guests shared positive experiences and encouragements that Mrs. Jones motivated.
Her nephew, Mr. Furman Glenn, acknowledged his aunt by sharing with her guests some of the history of their family and her life. Following are excerpts from the speech that praised Mrs. Jones so deeply.

“Man must rise above the earth to the top of the atmosphere and beyond. For only thus will he understand the world in which he lives.” Socrates

Mr. Glenn shared a brief history of their family: “From the early 19th century and the time of Caroline Nelson, Henry McCloud, and Hattie Boyd, to the

Brother Karle Mapp serenaded all ladies with a tribute to Mothers.

mid-19th century that marked the lives of Patrick Barber, Parthenia Miller, Ezell Nelson, and Hattie Boy,” they came. “In the 19th century and early 20th century the lives of Lonnie G. Barber and C. Geneva Nelson Barber came the infants Galvesta, Stella Lucille, Hattie Mae and the matriarch that we love and honor today, Agnes Leonard Barber Jones. Such is a glorious genealogy for me, my siblings, my cousins, and all of my family born in the mid-20th century.”

Mr. Glenn remembered, on his job, attending a plant-wide diversity session. His supervisor was not impressed with the idea of diversity. Mr. Glenn was called into his office after the session. His meeting with his supervisor was “destined to failure from the very beginning.” His supervisor’s first statement was, ‘You are probably the first person from your family to go to college, so why are you concerned with the diversity hoop-la?’

Mr. Glenn’s response was simply, “You are totally uninformed. Let me educate you.

1.    My grandmother graduated from the Normal School back in the very early 20th century when it was not common for many people regardless of race, creed or color to do so.
2.    My mother graduated from a trade school.
3.    One of my aunts was the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Georgia School of Administration.
4.    And finally, I have an aunt who has at least three degrees. Her last degree was a Master’s Degree earned from an Ivy League school, Columbia University; and let me emphasize EARNED.

Some of the many women who participated in the Pre-Mothers Day event.

Now, Sir, what about your heritage?” His only reply was, “That’s impressive.”

“And so I stand here today to honor my Aunt Agnes on the occasion of her 90th birthday. I stand here today to thank her publicly for setting the standard of excellence that she has demonstrated and passed on to this, my generation. I stand here today to acknowledge her for the high standard she set in education of her and the education of the many students whose lives she touched.

St. Augustine once said that ‘Understanding is a glimpse of divine beauty.’ I stand here today to thank Aunt Agnes for giving us a glimpse of Divine Beauty, God’s beauty, and the passion for appreciating what is right.“

“I stand here today to thank her for the contribution and nurturing of my life. I’m sure that those contributions have been magnified by several orders of magnitude in Jimmy’s life and will be the realization in the lives of her grandchildren. You can count on it.”

“My Aunt Agnes contributions have been significant. She:
a.    graduated from Stillman college
b.    graduated from Winston-Salem Teachers College
c.    graduated from Columbia University-Masters of Science in 1950
d.    continued her studies at NCCU in Durham
e.    led the youth of our cities as an educator in Alabama, Gastonia, Durham, Winston-Salem, and Asheville, dealing many times with special education students
f.    became an accomplished musician following the example of her parents. She has been an inspiration for myself, her son, and my sisters.
g.    is a devoted Christian woman
h.    is a dedicated mother and wife.”

“I thus salute her and her generation (many of you here today) who laid the foundation for my survival and the survival of this next generation.”

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