Maud S. Jones

On February 15, 1918 Oliver J. and Sarah Turner DeLamar gave birth to a daughter they named Maud S. DeLamar. Oliver was a sharecropper and Sarah was a homemaker who made their home in the Manchester Township and together they laid a solid foundation built on hard work, sacrifice and love. Maud accepted Christ at a young age and united with Mt. Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church in Dalark. She grew up to be a loving and beautiful young woman. As a young woman full of life and wit, she met the love of her life, Jesse Jones. They united in holy matrimony on December 27, 1937 in Dalark, Arkansas. The Lord blessed their union with three children; Mae Helen who passed at a shy 13 months, Lois Marie and Willie James. Her children were such an important part of her life and they brought her so much joy. Maud never met a stranger and would often meet with the local ladies to do piece quilting. It was in the summer of 1950 that the family moved to Arkadelphia and settled on Logan Street. Jesse worked long hours at the Sturgis Mill for several years, while she tended to the home raising Lois and Willie. 1956 would forever change the lives of the Jones family. Jesse’s health had begun to fail and he passed into the Lord’s embrace on February 11, 1956, leaving Maud as a widow at the age of 39. Although she never wavered in her faith, she lifted her head and gained strength from her faith. Maud later joined St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Arkadelphia. A woman who didn’t believe in laziness, she worked untiringly and faithfully on the Stewardess Board and was a member of the Senior Choir. She was a tremendous role model and always had a word of encouragement to uplift and inspire others. Maud was a foster grandmother with the Foster Grandparent Program at the Ione Bynum Childcare Center and was a former employee of Henderson State University. In April of 2005 she moved into Twin Rivers Health and Rehabilitation Center. Maud captivated the administration and staff with her loving disposition and artistic ability. She was very humble and modest about her ability. Many were surprised to find out that she could paint such beautiful pictures. Maud was very proud of her work and received recognition and was awarded for her “Firefly” painting. Time and space does not allow for a full accounting of the life of this precious lady. Though she is no longer with us in body and her irreplaceable presence will be deeply missed, her legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of those who were impacted by the beautiful life she lived. On Wednesday, August 21, 2013 in her 95th season of life she surrendered her soul. Maud was preceded in death by her parents, husband Jesse (1956); her daughter, Mae Helen; her grandson Rodrick C. Sago (1978); her son, Willie James Jones (2009); three sisters, Zeddie B. Jackson, Myrtle Jones, Elsie B. Johnson; five brothers, Claudie DeLamar, Clarence DeLamar, Leon DeLemar, Algie Johnson and Horace Johnson. She leaves to cherish her precious memories and await her glorious resurrection: her beloved daughter, Lois M. Sago of Caddo Valley, AR; granddaughter, Monica P. Sago of Rockford, IL; two sisters, Frankie Plummer of Arkadelphia, AR, and Odessa Nelson of Arkadelphia, AR; two brothers, George M. DeLamar (Dorothy) of Dalark, AR and Oliver N. “Peter” DeLamar of Oakland, CA; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and the St. Paul A.M.E. Church family. Public visitation will be held on Friday, August 30, 2013 from 12 noon until 7p.m. at the funeral home; and the family will greet friends from 6:00 until 7:00 p.m. Services to commemorate her life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 31, 2013, at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church where Rev. T. W. Scott is the pastor and celebrant. Interment will be in Houston-Turner Cemetery in Dalark, Arkansas. Click TributeLink to watch video.