Mays, Jonnie Adelina – 1890 - 1937

DOUGLASS, EVANS, GLASS, HAYES, MAYS, STORY

Posted By: JCGS Volunteer
Date: 11/22/2010 at 18:46:30

Mrs. M. R. Mays Dies Yesterday
Funeral Services to be Held Tuesday; Interment in Newton Cemetery
Mrs. M. R. Mays, 46, well-known Negro woman, died Sunday at 8:30 a.m. at her home, 812 East Eighth street North, following a several months’ illness from a malignant disease.
Mrs. Mays was taken ill last June and was a patient at the University hospital in Iowa City for six weeks.
Funeral services will be conducted from the Murdoch funeral home Tuesday at 2 p.m. by Dr. Leslie B. Logan, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church, assisted by Rev. E. F. Ruff, pastor of the Full Gospel church. Interment will be in the Newton Union cemetery.
Members of the J.O.C. class of the Methodist church will attend the rites in a body, the group to meet at the church at 1:45 p.m. and to go from there to the funeral home.
Obituary
An obituary, written by Madeline Stouffer Lambert upon the request of the family and to be read at the services Tuesday, is as follows:
Jonnie Adelina Story was born in Little Rock, Ark., Oct. 9, 1890, and passed away at Newton, Ia., Jan. 3, 1937. For three years in her young womanhood, she taught school in her home state. At the time of her marriage to Marion R. Mays, she was serving as city editor of the Iowa State Bystander, published at Des Moines, Ia.
They were united in marriage on June 12, 1923. As a wife and a mother of five motherless children, she gave her best effort. Not only did bring the gift of service in caring for their physical needs but was ever alert to stimulate their mental and spiritual growth. Music and poetry and the family alter were as much a part of the everyday life as was the regular routine of the hours.
“She was a sincere Christian, placing a childlike earnest faith in her Master whom she had chosen early in life. She had the gift for friendship – always interested and eager to share beauty and ideas. Nature held for her, infinite charm and variety and many of her little poems were expressions of a deeply reverent love for God as He revealed Himself in trees and flowers and clouds, in rain and snow.
Interested in Music
“With her husband, she gave liberally of her time and talent to music, always glad to sing from a large repertoire of sacred and secular songs. But she loved most to sing the old Negro spirituals, through which she poured out her soul in the weirdly beautiful words or in their gay triumphant glory notes.
“She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and played her violin in the Sunday school orchestra for many years. She was a loyal member of the J.O.C. class, the Home Missionary society and Hartzell Aid division. She served as Seal Sale publicity chairman in 1933 and was publicity chairman for Junior High P.T.A. this past year.
“With her husband and family, she has made a distinct and unique contribution of Newton life and her friends feel that the community is poorer for her going.
“Two days after she was told that she was suffering from a fatal malady, she wrote these lines and called them.
God Gives Me Another Day
Another day that I might see
The beautiful things that were meant for me.
Yesterday I was too busy with all life’s cares
To behold the things, God with me shares.
Another day that I might hear
The song of birds that He gives to cheer.
Yesterday I fussed with trifles and care
Deafened to harmony everywhere.
Another day that I might do
The little things that help a wayfarer through.
Yesterday found me blindly trudging away
At things not solved in a single day.
Another day that I might live,
More abundantly love and more willingly give.
Yesterday my thoughts were selfish and vain,
Today is for me – letting me try again.
So another day is here again,
A day of hope, joy, disappointment and pain,
Yesterday the same – but faith lost her way
Thank God, who gives me another day.

“Surviving relatives are Marion R. Mays, husband, and the children: Mrs. Evelyn Douglass, Washington, D.C., Everett A. Mays, Iowa City, Virginia Mays, Newton and Charlotte Mays of Sioux City. Mercedes Mays preceded her in death five years ago.
“Three sisters, Mrs. Mary B. Glass of Des Moines, Mrs. Alice Hayes of Portland, Ore., and Mrs. Minnie Evans of Neelyville, Mo., also two uncles and many nephews, nieces and cousins survive her.”
Source: Newton Daily News; January 4, 1937