Kathryn B. Jones moved to the Champaign-Urbana, Illinois area
with her husband Edward E. Jones in 1941, and soon after moving
here, she became involved in community activities. After joining
Salem Baptist Church, she began working with the young children
in the Primary Sunday School Class, helped provide robes for the
Sunshine Choir, assisted with the Salem Pre-School and in the
recruitment of neighborhood children to come to Salem's Vacation
Bible School. In the forties, she and her husband opened their
doors to African-American students to live in their home because
of lack of housing for them on Campus. She spearheaded a boycott
against the Meadow Gold Ice Cream Parlor because of refusal to
allow African-Americans to be served. Mr. Jones, an Instructor
at Chanute Air Force Base, was always inviting homesick Airmen
to their home for Sunday dinner.
In the early fifties, the Jones' cared for many foster children.
For many years, and through the sixties and beyond, "Mother
Jones" remained a community advocate and spent long hours
helping to plan, organize and recruit members for organizations,
i.e., Concerned Citizens Committee, The Progress Association for
Economic Development, Community Advocacy Department, the Economic
Opportunity Committee to help improve educational and employment
opportunities for the African-American population. She worked
with other Senior Citizens as an aide and advisor to classroom
teachers in Champaign Schools. She had also been active with the
Girl Scouts.
Kathryn Jones was and is still "Mother Dear" to all
the many she had known and helped during her life time.
Kathryn B. Jones was born January 22, 1906 and died March 27,
1999.
Kathryn B. Jones
)
denotes original charter members of the Champaign County Section
of the National Council of Negro Women.