House Resolution 44

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MRS. BESSIE NELL JONES, AND EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HER PASSING.

WHEREAS, it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, on February 19, 2024, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Mrs. Bessie Nell Jones, to eternal rest, rendering great sorrow and loss to her family, friends and community; and

WHEREAS, born on January 27, 1934, in Carthage, Mississippi, to Mr. J.C. Crouther and Mrs. Jessie Crouther, Mrs. Jones was the third born of nine children, and she accepted Christ as her personal Lord and Savior at an early age at Zion Hill AME Church; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Jones attended Wesley Chapel High School and graduated in 1955, and she went on to study practical nursing at Mississippi Valley State and Natchez Charity Hospital, and after graduating on September 19, 1956, she started her first job as an LPN at Leake Memorial Hospital in Carthage the next day, on September 20, 1956, and she had the honor of being the first African-American nurse to be hired by the hospital, and she made it her mission to care for the sick and injured throughout her illustrious career in healthcare; and

WHEREAS, in July 1990, Mrs. Jones retired from Leake Memorial, promising her co-workers that she would be back part time at her farewell party, and true to her word, she continued working part time at both Leake Memorial and at Scott Regional Hospital in Morton, Mississippi, and finally, at the age of 75, her children convinced her to not renew her nursing license and finally retire for good; and

WHEREAS, in 1952, Mrs. Jones met the love of her life, Mr. L.V. (Hambone) Jones, and they exchanged vows of holy matrimony on April 27, 1958, and together they raised six remarkable children, Desi, Debbie, Jeanette, Jerome, Laschelle and Jason, and her children were her pride and joy; and

WHEREAS, as a true role model and the foundation of her family, Mrs. Jones excelled at motherhood and was a woman of strong faith, and she instilled in her children the importance of family, hard work, and doing what is right; and

WHEREAS, devoted to her faith, Mrs. Jones moved her membership to Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, and remained a faithful member until she was called home; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Jones also loved being a grandmother, and she would travel all over the United States to make sure that she never missed any of their special dates, whether it was a birthday party, kindergarten graduation, sports event, dance recital, piano recital, choral concert, high school graduation, or college graduation; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Jones's passions were her family, church, the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the Dallas Cowboys and quilting, and she loved to spend hours putting quilts together while watching her Bulldogs play on Saturday, and while watching her "stories" during the week, and her family knew not to call her whenever The Young and The Restless or The Bold and The Beautiful were on television, because she would not answer the phone during that time; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Jones's life was a testament to the beauty of a life well lived, the lives she touched, and the love she shared, and her presence will be deeply missed, but her legacy will bloom eternally in the hearts of those she has left behind; and

WHEREAS, a genuine and lovely lady of exceptional character, Mrs. Jones's outstanding legacy will continue for generations to come, and precious memories of time spent with her will hopefully continue to provide warmth, peace and comfort to her loved ones; and

WHEREAS, though she has traversed the river of life to reunite with those who answered God's summons to life eternal and now beckon her arrival to the celestial shores of Heaven's grandeur, such as her parents, Mr. J.C. Crouther and Mrs. Jessie Crouther; husband, L.V. (Hambone) Jones; daughters, Jeanette Beatie and Debbie Jones; sisters, Myrtle Bell Moton and Baby Ruth Crouther; and brother, Elvin Crouther; the legacy of Mrs. Jones's indelible imprint upon our lives will continue to refresh the hearts and fond memories of her loved ones, including her children, Desi Crouther, Jerome Jones, Laschelle Jones Cooper and Jason Jones; sisters, Willie Bea Avant and Lillie Jackon; brothers, Albert Crouther, Bobby Crouther and Mitchell Crouther; sister-in-loves, Helen Davis, Florine Crouther, Judy Crouther and Ada Rich; son-in-love, Will Beatie; daughter-in-loves, Tonya Stowers and Tammie Davis Jones; grandchildren, Willie Beatie, Jeffrey Jones, Kendall Crouther, Alex Jones, Myles Crouther, A.D. Beatie, Tevin Jones, Cameron Jones, Tyla Parks, Sean Crouther, and her baby, Averie Jones; great-grandchildren, Lennox Jones and Roman Jones; bonus children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Ossie Whittington, Ellen Gray, Lester Jones, Baraka Perez, Deidre Lavine, Patricia Santos, Pamela Santos, Kesha Pommier, Willie Earl Gray Jr., Tamia Cavett, Simone Lassere, Chantae Davis, Darnell Payton, Jordan Whittington, Morgan Pommier, Allana Pommier, Miles Perez, Riley Perez, Zayden Johnson and Royce Davis; "adopted" family and grandchildren, Pat Stokes, Elaine Cleveland, Shalette Curry and Jaylen Banks; as well as beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and dear friends; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Jones will forever be loved, cherished and missed by all who knew her, and since it is written in 2 Corinthians 5:8, that to be "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord," her family and friends can find peace and comfort during this difficult time; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and honor the lives of outstanding Mississippians, especially those such as Mrs. Jones, a wonderful lady whose life's light illuminated the path of hope for all she encountered along this earthly sojourn:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby mourn the loss and honor the life and legacy of Mrs. Bessie Nell Jones, and express deepest sympathy to her family and friends upon her passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Mrs. Bessie Nell Jones, and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.