Remembering Evelyn M. Jones: A Life Well-Lived

On July 13, 1925, Evelyn M. Jones was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania to Jerome Jones, Sr. and Blanche Jones. Sadly, she was predeceased by her younger brothers and only siblings William Jones and Jerome Jones, Jr. and nephews William and Charles Jones.

Evelyn spent her formative years in Ardmore, Pennsylvania where she attended Ardmore Grammar School and Lower Merion High School. She attended Sunday School at Zion Baptist Church. In her teens, she worked as a waitress at the Jones family restaurant in Haverford, PA. Eventually, she and her mother Blanche relocated to Philadelphia, where she later purchased her home on Delancey Street. This is where she spent the rest of her life, building a strong sense of community with her neighbors who became her extended family. Her dear neighbor Mary was the closest thing to a daughter she ever had.

Evelyn was a talented bookkeeper and property manager, working for many years before her eventual retirement. She was a sports enthusiast coaching all the Philly teams from her recliner. Even in her nineties, she remained independent and active. Evelyn was the oldest and last surviving member of The Golden Girls, a group formed by Zemoria Brandon and Mary Harden, who wanted to bring together older women for social outings and activities.

Evelyn's legacy lives on in the memories of those who knew and loved her. She leaves to cherish her memory: her God-given daughter Mary Harden, her God-given son Ronald Johnson; God-given grandchildren Tahir Ingram, BJ Brown, and Summer; Nieces Terrie Jones Porter, Yvonne Jones Turner, Lian Jones, and Debrina James (Joe); Nephews Jerome Jones III, Eric Jones, and Kevin Jones; , and a host of great nieces, great nephews, cousins and friends.