(Originally compiled by Arnelia Druitt, 1988, and updated July 2012 by Audrey Jones Ellis & Maj Keecia Jones Quinnie)

Since none of us were around to witness any of the events in the lives of our ancestors nor were records kept, we will have to accept the information passed down to us by word of mouth from our parents. We may have different versions of what took place, but we have been able to verify some things by census data. The information I (Arnelia) have was recorded on tape by my sister Portia L. Witherspoon's son, Robert Harvey Williams in 1979 directly from Uncle Peter Jones; and from my mother, Eliza Jones Williams in 1967. These were the only sources of information available to me for the family's history.

The Jones name from which we are all related comes from our great grandmother Eliza Jones and her two sons, General Jones and Alexander Jones (our grandfather), who were born in North Carolina as slaves, bought and brought by a slave master to the state of Alabama. Great Grandma Eliza Jones had two daughters, Alice Walton Hanesworth and Harriett Jones.

Sally, our great great grandmother, was three fourths white. Her last name or surname is not known. Great Great Grandma Sally had one daughter, name unknown, who was fathered by a colored man and lived with her uncle. She had two sons fathered by a white man named Dave Minge. The son's names were Robert H. and Johnny Minge. Dave Minge freed his two sons and they were never slaves. They became very successful and rich in their textile industry. Great Great Grandma Sally had servants just like the white people until Dave Minge went to war. They lived in Marengo County southwest of Faunsdale, Alabama.

After Dave Minge went to war, Great Great Grandma Sally married Jacob Russell, a Black Creek Indian and they had five children. their names were Jake, Allen, Dilsey, Adella and Adeline.

Adeline Russell was our great grandmother. Adeline Russell married John White in Marengo County near Faunsdale by the Tom Big Bee River. John White and Adeline Russell White, our great grandparents, had eighteen children. Some of their names were Margaret Louise, our grandmother and the oldest, Georgiana, Collier, William H., Mary, Sallie, Arbella (Bella), Ellen (Eleanor), Carrey, Delsa, Robert Henry, John, Benjamin, Jacob, Eugene, and Susie. The other names are not known.

Alexander Jones (grandpa) and Margaret Louise White Jones (grandma) were married in Stigmy on the other side of Faunsdale, Alabama. They were parents of sixteen children. Eleven survived and five died as young babies. The children that survived were: Willie Anna, General, Edward, Minnie, Alexander, Samuel Collier, Peter, Robert, Eliza Jane, Moses (died at eleven years of age), and Wilbert.

All survivors except Moses were married and blessed with children listed in this order: Willie Anna Jones White, one child, Maggie Louise White the oldest grandchild of all who died February 18, 1920; General Jones, eight children, three still alive; Edward Jones, one child, all are deceased in that family; Minnie Jones Ward, no children, passed away less than one year after her marriage to Richard Ward; Alexander Jones Jr., two children by first marriage and eight children by second marriage, a total of ten, eight known to be alive; Samuel Collier Jones, eight children, five alive and well; Peter Jones, eight children five alive; Robert Jones, ten children, four alive; Eliza Jones Williams, four children, three alive, and Wilbert Jones, two children, one alive.

Grandpa Alexander Jones passed away in June 1912, and Grandma Margaret Louise White Jones passed away December 12, 1919.

Our grandparents were not academic scholars or college graduates, but were blessed with wisdom from on high. It is not how much knowledge we gain, but how well we use that knowledge with wisdom. They were able to do what Booker T. Washington said (quote), "Take what you have and make what you want" (unquote). Those two people were instrumental in raising eleven children and helpful in securing a home for eight of them.

They were people with good Christian beliefs and morals. We can be proud and grateful to God for being a part of a prominent, well respected family. As a result of their efforts and our parents' efforts, we are blessed with off-spring who have made great contributions in society. We are happy that this family has been strongly motivated, encouraged and has maintained strong Christian morals. We are blessed with ministers, administrators, doctors, lawyers, educators, farmers, technologists, musicians, singers, electricians and Christian lay people to name a few. We are a family of cultural pride and self-esteem. We must never become complacent, but must continue to persevere until God says well done.

Let us continue to come together as a family - individually and collectively - in prayer to God asking for divine guidance and help - to overcome all obstacles in our paths. Prayer will change things if we only trust, obey and give God the glory!