Mrs. Thelma Lucille Whitfield Jones was born on June 1, 1926, to the late Mr. William Henry Whitfield and the late Mrs. Ella Lavester Blount Whitfield. Born and raised in Tattnall County, she had five additional siblings: Ella Mae Whitfield, Marvie Lee Whitfield, Minnie Ruth Whitfield Powell, Samuel B. Whitfield, and William Henry Whitfield, Jr.
She was joined in Holy Matrimony in October of 1943 to Lloyd B. Jones, and to this union, eight children were born. In 1953, Lloyd and Thelma moved their family to New York, where they lived for many years before returning to live in Georgia in 1988. Lloyd and Thelma were married for over sixty years, until his death in November of 2006.
While living in New York, Lloyd was called to serve the Lord as a Pastor. For fifty years, he served as Pastor of many churches in both New York and Georgia. Thelma served alongside him as First Lady, choir member, deaconess, seamstress, babysitter for the church's children, and baker of the best cakes! The last church in which they served together as Pastor and First Lady was Wabash Church of God in Dublin, Georgia.
Thelma was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, five children: Albert Jones, Delmar Jones, Donald Jones, Andre Jones, and Monica Figueroa; two sons-in-law: David Figueroa and Hamilton Hunter; and one daughter-in-law: Lillian Jones.
She leaves the following loved ones to cherish many special memories: two daughters: Mrs. Sandra Jones Hunter and Mrs. Dorothy (Roosevelt) Ballard; one son: Rev. Phillip S. (Tandra) Jones Sr.; two sisters-in-law: Mrs. Nita Bell Baker and Mrs. Luretha Tillman; two first-cousins: Mrs. Charlotte Johnson and Mrs. Harriett Hayes; and a host of loving and caring grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.