On November 2, 1937, God sent us Mrs. Willie B. Jones, our Mom. Mom was born in Macon, Mississippi and was raised by her father, the late Mr. Victor Dent and her grandparents, Abe and Cora Dent. Years later, she relocated to East St. Louis, IL with her father and started to build a life for herself.

Mom and Dad, the late Lenard Jones Jr. reconnected once they both moved from Mississippi to East St. Louis and was married in holy matrimony on July 29, 1958. They did everything together including being employed at the same time at Stix Baer and Fuller Department Store. Together they raised five children and ensured we experienced vacations, family reunions, quality time with one another and dinner time each night as a family. They made each of us feel special and addressed our needs individually.

Mom's spiritual journey started at St. John A.M.E. Church where both her and Dad served on the Usher Board faithfully. She was also a member of the Stewardess Board and she ensured that each of her kids were active members which included attending Sunday school every Sunday. From there our family joined Brown Community A.M.E. Zion Church where Mom was a faithful member for many years. Mom and Dad joined Southern Missionary Baptist Church where she was a member of the Usher Board. Mom took pride in her walk with God and made sure her family did the same.

Mom had numerous occupations but was truly proud of her employment with School District #189 where she was an employee for over 30 years. However, her number one job was taking care of her family. Her children were everything and she protected us and ensured we had the best that she could offer. She monitored our day-to-day activities, our friendships and always had an opinion on what we were doing and why. That opinion carried on into our adulthood; how we now appreciate it.

In her spare time, Mom enjoyed any activity involving her children. She was involved with the Parent Teacher Association with all 5 children, The Mothers of the Deltas, and all affiliations dealing with her children's involvement in sports and extracurricular activities. Once she relocated to Indianapolis with Carolyn and Sam, she had an opportunity to be loved on by a new village. We noticed her passion for cooking, reading, watching her favorite teams play, (St. Louis Blue and Cardinals) and going to church then out to dinner at her favorite restaurant, Mississippi Belle. She also enjoyed spending the day at the hair salon with friends, getting manicures and pedicures, helping with arts and crafts, laughing and talking with family and friends, and sharing the joy of her life being a devoted mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great-great-grandmother and wife. Mom lived a good life.

Mom's legacy consists of her devoted husband, the late Lenard Jones Jr. Together they shared 5 children, Debora Jones Mosby, Mary Jean (Cedric) Rives, Samuel (Errical) Jones, Carolyn (Alex Sr.) Sanders, and Laurie (Theodric Sr.) Belt. She was also survived by 12 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great-grandchild, a sister-in-law, JoAnne Jones and a host of nieces, nephews and a remarkable village of friends.