Rebecca Jones

To Our Beloved Rebecca Lee Jones

Our beloved Rebecca Lee Jones (often called “Beck”) entered this world as a blessed fourth child to Mary Jackson Lee and the Rev. Willie Lee on January 19, 1933, in Ethel, Louisiana. Her father of six children was widowed at an early age, and God soon provided for him a devout Christian wife, Arlean Thomas Lee, and four more lovely children. God blessed this union with an eleventh child, and this beloved family moved forward in a tradition of love, faith, and service. In the atmosphere of Christian Faith, Rebecca was baptized at an early age at the Fairview Baptist Church in Ethel, Louisiana. The family moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1943.

In adulthood, Rebecca made the voyage to California and brought with her impressive hairdressing skills, charisma, and southern hospitality. She soon started making a name for herself in California. One of her accomplishments was becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse. Rebecca fell in love with a man commonly referred to as “Mr.Handy,” and they lived joyous lives together until his death. Rebecca was blessed yet again to fall in love with Bobbie Gene Jones, whom she married in 1974. They had a long blessed marriage of 32 years until his death in 2006. During those 32 years with “Bob,” Rebecca took on one of the most essential yet challenging roles of becoming a foster mother. Her heart and her home became open to many foster babies and children in need of someone to care for them; she did just that. Anyone who passed through the home of “Mama Jones” was sure not to leave unless they were well dressed, well-fed, and overall well cared for.

Preceding Rebecca in death is her parents, Mary Jackson Lee, Arlean T Lee, and the Rev. Willie Lee; siblings, Daisy Lee Harris, Willie Lee Jr, Nancy Lee McCaleb, Ida Lee Johnson, Barbara E. Watkins, Dolores L. Singleton, and Eddie Ellerson.

Rebecca leaves a beautiful and memorable legacy of love, kindness, friendship, and generosity to her beloved family and friends. Those who cherish her memory include her four daughters, Jessica Martinez (Jose), Anne Price (Jermaine), Jenina Manning, and Fatima Small (Jacob); her siblings, Lillie Lee Thompson (Louis), the Rev. Eddie Lee (Ora Dean), and Robert Lee Ellerson (Juanita); grandchildren, Rebeckah Davis, Bobbi Martinez, Jermaine L Price, Tuscany L Broughton, Armani Price, and Ethan Small (due May 2020); and great-grandchildren, Kamani Crosby and Zahara Crosby; and many other special relatives and friends, as well as the many foster families and foster children’s lives whom Rebecca has touched.

We, the family, are grateful to have wonderful memories of Beck, Becky Mae, Ma-ma, Mama Jones, and granny. All names given to the beloved Rebecca.