On the Stewardship of Almeeda Jones

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God, who makes things grow.
The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose,
and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.
St. Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians

Happy Fifth Week in Lent!
I attended the celebration of Almeeda Jones’ life last Saturday (March 18). Her family, The Shades of Praise, and Fr. Woody gave her a joyous party!

When Ann and I first came to St Therese in 1979, we were invited to a welcoming dinner at Leah Wenzler’s apartment. Almeeda and her husband, Fred, made sure it was a memorable evening with their open hearts and good cheer. They were two of the stewards who watered the garden of St Therese for us and allowed us to grow in God’s love.

Her daughter Sandy talked about her mother at the end of mass, and I’m just going publish it here:

Before my Mom could sow into us, someone had to sow into her.

Almeeda Goldie was born in Ellensburg, Washington December 16, 1930 to Jack and Vanita Williams. Unfortunately, she had a rough start where her parents were unable to care for her. She moved from family member to family member from the West Coast to the East Coast and back to the West Coast.

At an early age, around seven years old, she was invited by a little friend to go to church, where she learned of a Father that would love her unconditionally. She was given a little prayer book at which she kept throughout the years. That was the beginning of someone sowing into her life seeds of faith.

Eventually she was given up for adoption by her parents at age 11 to William and Willette Williams. She now had a stable environment and parents that loved and cared for her. She grew up in Bremerton, where she made lifetime friends that sowed seeds of trust and love.

In high school she would work in her father’s restaurant that catered to the Navy Service men who were stationed on base in Bremerton. It was on a particular day that she was working when a young man - you guessed it - Fred Douglas Jones - caught her eye while playing pool with his buddies. He got the nerve to introduce himself, prompted by a bet that he could get her number. The country boy from Tallahassee Florida fell quickly in love with Almeeda. He sowed seeds of true love and hope and joy.

Shortly after she graduated from high school, they married and immediately he was transferred to San Diego. Fred’s parents, never meeting their new daughter-in-law, began sowing seeds of love, family and their faith through letters.

She had to trust God when her new husband was deployed to Korea. Now left alone and pregnant with her first child, she had to trust her new neighbors and a few other women whose husbands were also deployed. She had to trust that God would bring home her new husband from the war; I can’t imagine how scary that must have been.

After leaving the service my parents moved back to Bremerton and had four more children: Teresa, Patricia, me and my brother Ron.

They made a decision to join the Catholic Church and were guided by a loving couple who sponsored them. This was the foundation they knew they needed for our family.

They soon move to Seattle where they bought two small two-bedroom, one-bath houses. We lived in one, and the other they rent rented out.

Mom made a decision to go to school to become a nurse. She trusted God would provide her strength and knowledge to complete her education while raising five children. She begin working as a Critical Care Nurse after graduating at Swedish and soon started using her faith to encourage her patients and their families.

They later bought a house on 33rd Ave - four bedrooms, one bath.

They joined this community of St Therese. This is where she met many of you. She poured into everyone of our friends. She began sowing and watering seeds of her strong faith through teaching catechism, participating in Girls Scouts, PTO, choir, Parish Council and many other activities. She made lifetime friends in this community.

You may have sat at our dinner table for a meal that she lovingly prepared. She gave advice. Was a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen. And yes she would pray for you.

She poured in to her children grandchildren and great grandchildren.

She sowed into many of us, and it all started with an invitation to a small child to come meet a Heavenly Father that would love, guide and direct her 92-year journey.

So now it’s your turn to take that seed of faith she sowed into you and spread to others. Seeds of love, faith, strength, wisdom hope, grace, humility, joy and so much more.

To her grandchildren and great grandchildren: know that she loved you and only wanted the best for each of you. Let the seeds she planted honor her by growing your faith and loving your family unconditionally.

Pass on the legacy that your grandfather and grandmother started. Honor the importance of God and Family

So Thank You, everyone, for loving our mother and honoring her by being here today!