1919
Grace
2016
Grace Jefferies
March 8, 1919 — December 18, 2016
Grace was born on March 8, 1919, in Wellborn, Florida to the union of James Oscar and Pearlie McKinney. She was the youngest daughter of nine children.
She was raised in a God-fearing home, and brought up in the church from her early childhood.
At age twenty-six, as a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, Fla., she experienced the new birth in Christ Jesus, being baptized with the Holy Ghost as the Scripture reads in Matt. 3:11. She spent many years in service to the church and to the community.
Grace graduated from Daytona Beach High School in Daytona Beach, Florida where she also attended Bethune-Cookman College. In California she continued her pursuit of education in the Los Angeles City Trade School and Southwest Junior CoUege while working as Library Assistant for the Los Angeles Public Library.
She retired as Library Assistant from the Los Angeles Public Library where she worked for 26 years. She was also a (California State) Licensed Real Estate Salesperson and worked as an Income Tax Preparer.
Grace was married to James Smart (deceased) from June 3, 1944 to December 31, 1960. They moved to Los Angeles, CA in December, 1949.
She put in many hours of volunteer work: At The Los Angeles County General Hospital, she was a member of the Red Cross Candy Stripers, and worked as a volunteer nurse's aide. She was a volunteer tutor in the Los Angeles Public Library's Adult Literacy Program; the Camp County Public Library's Adult Literacy Program in Pittsburg, TX; and enrolled as tutor at the Mesquite PubHc Library's Adult Literacy Program. She did volunteer work at the Brentwood Nursing Home of Dallas, TX, until her husband's illness required aU of her attention.
Grace met and Married I. J. Jefferies on November 6, 1981. After their retirement, they moved to Pittsburg, Texas and later to Mesquite, TX. Her beloved husband, I. J., preceded her in death on July 23, 1998.
As a member of Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church, in Mesquite, TX, she was a member of the MFBC Senior Adult Ministry, the Evangelism Outreach Ministry; the New Member Orientation Ministry and The MFBC Prayer Foree Ministry.
At MFBC, she was lovingly known as "Mother Jefferies," a title of honor she cherished.· Mother Jefferies was always willing to lend a helping band wherever she was needed. She gave of herself and her time to help others. She would often say to the members of the church, "You do me the honor of calling me 'Mother', and I take that title and position very seriously."
Those whom she leaves with great expectation of seeing them again are:
2 Nephews: Willie F. Edwards (Chicago, IL)
2 Nieces: Willie Mae Poole (Miami, FL) and Irene Smart-Booker (Savannah, GA); grand nieces and
nephews; other relatives; her extended family, Paula, Mickey and Dyanna Humphrey (Mesquite, TX), and a host of friends.
She was raised in a God-fearing home, and brought up in the church from her early childhood.
At age twenty-six, as a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, Fla., she experienced the new birth in Christ Jesus, being baptized with the Holy Ghost as the Scripture reads in Matt. 3:11. She spent many years in service to the church and to the community.
Grace graduated from Daytona Beach High School in Daytona Beach, Florida where she also attended Bethune-Cookman College. In California she continued her pursuit of education in the Los Angeles City Trade School and Southwest Junior CoUege while working as Library Assistant for the Los Angeles Public Library.
She retired as Library Assistant from the Los Angeles Public Library where she worked for 26 years. She was also a (California State) Licensed Real Estate Salesperson and worked as an Income Tax Preparer.
Grace was married to James Smart (deceased) from June 3, 1944 to December 31, 1960. They moved to Los Angeles, CA in December, 1949.
She put in many hours of volunteer work: At The Los Angeles County General Hospital, she was a member of the Red Cross Candy Stripers, and worked as a volunteer nurse's aide. She was a volunteer tutor in the Los Angeles Public Library's Adult Literacy Program; the Camp County Public Library's Adult Literacy Program in Pittsburg, TX; and enrolled as tutor at the Mesquite PubHc Library's Adult Literacy Program. She did volunteer work at the Brentwood Nursing Home of Dallas, TX, until her husband's illness required aU of her attention.
Grace met and Married I. J. Jefferies on November 6, 1981. After their retirement, they moved to Pittsburg, Texas and later to Mesquite, TX. Her beloved husband, I. J., preceded her in death on July 23, 1998.
As a member of Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church, in Mesquite, TX, she was a member of the MFBC Senior Adult Ministry, the Evangelism Outreach Ministry; the New Member Orientation Ministry and The MFBC Prayer Foree Ministry.
At MFBC, she was lovingly known as "Mother Jefferies," a title of honor she cherished.· Mother Jefferies was always willing to lend a helping band wherever she was needed. She gave of herself and her time to help others. She would often say to the members of the church, "You do me the honor of calling me 'Mother', and I take that title and position very seriously."
Those whom she leaves with great expectation of seeing them again are:
2 Nephews: Willie F. Edwards (Chicago, IL)
2 Nieces: Willie Mae Poole (Miami, FL) and Irene Smart-Booker (Savannah, GA); grand nieces and
nephews; other relatives; her extended family, Paula, Mickey and Dyanna Humphrey (Mesquite, TX), and a host of friends.
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