Grace Maxine Jones

Graveside Service:1 p.m. Thursday in Moore Memorial Gardens.

From her birth to her death, she nourished people around her with love and faith. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She loved the Lord and served him faithfully throughout her life and was a member of the Joshua Baptist Church.

She filled her home with her favorite gospel music, the “old” shows (westerns), and she loved to read her Bible, but her greatest joy was spending time with family and friends.

She was born in Madison County, Alabama on March 6, 1923 to Finley and Alice (Tankersley) Pruitt. She was the youngest of 10 children. Grace never met her mother who died from complications of childbirth and was raised by her sisters. She often mentioned that she looked forward to meeting her mother. What a joyful embrace they must have had on October 23, 2016.

She was married to Johnie L. Whitaker on August 15, 1940. She and Johnie had 3 children. Johnie preceded Grace in death on November 20, 1976.

She was married to W. Joe Jones on April 15, 1977. Joe preceded Grace in death on October 6, 1998.

She was also preceded in death by 4 Sisters, 5 Brothers, her son Donald A. Whitaker, and her son, James M. Whitaker, Sr.

She is survived by her daughter, Alice Yvonne Ratliff, her grandsons, John Mark Morales, Richard L. Russell, James M. Whitaker, Jr., and John A Whitaker, her granddaughters, Lesa Luna, Tonya D. Harkins, Tabatha Hovey, and Jennifer Kirchner, 10 great grandchildren, and 6 great great grandchildren.