I was driving to work today and Ms. Jean popped into my head. I have not been in contact with her since 2007, but always think about her when I drive to McDonough. My Mom, Barbara Quick, who sold Ms. Spears her home in Atlanta, is having a 70th Birthday Party in May and I asked my Mom, did you think to invite Ms. Spears. I called her and the phone number was disconnected. I called her cell phone and there was another voice, but I still left a message. Something told me to google her, and low and behold there was a Memorial Listing for Ms. Jean Donaldson Spears. I felt a strangeness in the pit of my stomach knowing that Ms. Spears had passed. I am so sorry to find out this. Her vision to come to my mind was a way that her spirit had reached out to me. I am an artist and she supported my work and I am so grateful that she was a part of my life. I am so sorry that I am just learning of her passing. I just want the family to know that I am truly sorry for their loss. She was a delightful, special and talented person. God Bless.
Naylon Mitchell, Actor/Artist
In the year of 1997, during a somewhat hot summer, a lady stood at a copy machine, not just a lady but a correctional counselor at the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco Ca. A young man had heard that a Counselor had a very spiritual background and loved music.
This young man had a buring desire to keep the chapel program open and asked the smiling lady, "would you sponsor our choir, for we can not have rehearsals with no sponsor." Her immediate response was, "Oh no, cant do it."
The young man being an inmate was saved and delivered from a sordid past, and held that that no had to be yes. One week later she approached the young man and said, "What is you name?" I responded, "My name is Chavis." She smiled and said, "Get the men ready for rehearsing."
The first rehearsal had over 65 voices, but later only the faithful, saved and delivered men of God would hang in there, for Ms. Spears played no games, God first!
I am that young man, I am Lemuel Chavis, II., I was the founder and of the Voices of Holiness at CRC, with my adopted mom, Ms. JC Donaldson-Spears, being at the helm as sponsor. This page could not contain all the victorious stories that we shared, the Holy Ghost filled services and concerts that were held behind prison walls, you had to be there.
During her last year as sponsor, we endeavored to do what no other prison had done in So California and that was to purchase our own robes. Ms. Spears worked, mailed and we sought family and friends as well as our own money to purchase 30 robes and not one penny came from the State. During our robe dedication, I surprised momma Spears with one of her favorite songs, "I Shall Wear A Crown." I will never forget that night nor this great woman of God.
Though my heart was sadden a year ago, I am so glad that I have found this page in tribute of such a great woman. She inspired me to be who I am today, not looking at my fall, not looking at my past setbacks, but learning to seek forgiveness of self and of others, and turn my setbacks into comebacks.
Now I am Saved, Called and Chosen by God, and was ordained the month of her passing. Yes, I am a product of positive change and a life rooted and grounded in Christ being taught and inspired by Momma Spears.
Yes you are wearing a crown, you are wearing your garments of praise, you are telling the story how you made it over, you have made it home.
God Bless you momma Spears, and remember to all on this side, "Spirit was never born and Spirit never dies." The spirit of this Woman of God, is yet a part of each of us of whom she touched along the way.
Founder and Past Director of the Voices of Holiness (CRC/NORCO)
Elder Lemuel OT Chavis II (Yelp, Momma, ELDER)........
We met at LA SoWest College, in the early 70's. We had a class together and we were not happy with the grade we received, so we went looking for the teacher. Needless to say we could not find him.
We realized that he did not want to be found, and we just looked at each other, and CRIS said ''we just have to work harder to get rid of this C.''
We were friends from that point on. Cris was the level headed one, I was the hot headed one. She accepted me as I was, but she never hesitated to pull my coat if she felt that I was out of line. Her favorite words to me was, ''Now Bee Bee''.
She was one of the few people the accepted people as they were, and because of this, she accumulated a host of friends.
She was a mediator and a confident, always level headed in a crisis with a prayer on her lips and in her heart, and will be remembered always for her giving spirit and her smile.
Nite Nite Cris,
Bee Bee
Aunt Bee Bee, Thank you for sharing your memories of Mom. You have been a true friend to us as children through the years as well. You will forever be in our lives. Love Deborah
We met J.C. while visiting my brother & sister (George & Eva) in the summer of 2004. She became a member of our family. During our many visits to McDonough we always got to spend time sharing over tea, a recipe, life experiences, decorating tips and life . Whenever Eva and I talked I always asked what J.C. was up to. She was such a busy lady. I was impressed at how much time she spent in the yard. Oh BTW I was looking forward to some more of her just right home made strawberry preserves. So I going enjoy the preserves I have left slowly. Because of the love she put into everything her hands touch they are just to Good! I wish I could make them last forever & ever. I know one day the perserves will be all gone but I will hold to the jar that was once filled with sweet fruit by a Sweet Spirit.
Senethua and Charles, Thank you for sharing such a beautiful memorie of our mother. I hope to meet you one day soon. If we have any more of the strawberry preserves I will make sure to share them with Mrs. Eva to share with you. May God bless and keep you. Sincerely, Deborah Foster and Family
Im best friends with Jeans daughter Leona, and when I met Jean, she never asked questions she just took me in like I was her own...This crazy little white girl, but Mama Jean loved me and I loved her, from the first time we met. She was one of the sweetest and wisest women Ive ever known....Sassy too!! She always told me straight, thats for sure, no candy coating in her book....Always saying wed try to go to church with her on Sunday, and for some reason, we just couldnt get up... shed let us slide...Super bowl parties, she was the host with the most AND ew WEE she could cook a mean gucamole dip...mmmmm everything she cooked was the bomb..
Even though I have so many good things to remember about Mama Jean, the best is when she got to meet my son Ty...I know she was there with us, and she saw him, and she loved him more in the 10 min she was around him, then anyone could ever imagine...She will be missed dearly, and I hope they know how lucky they are to have her up there.....I love you Mama Jean, and Ty will know you, I promise.
A million times we needed you,
A million times we cried,
If love alone would have saved you,
You would of never died.
In life we loved you dearly,
In death we love you still,
In our hearts you hold a place,
No one can ever fill.
A light from our household is gone,
A voice from our love is stilled,
A place in our vacant home,
Which never can be filled.
Some may think you are forgotten,
Though on earth you are no more,
But in our memory you are with us,
As you always were before.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
But you did not go alone,
A part of us went with you,
The day God called you home.
Your precious memories are for keepsakes,
with which we never part,
God has you safely in his keeping,
But we have you forever in our hearts
Denise, Thank you for the beautiful poem. Thank you for being a friend for life. Love Deborah Foser
The very first time I met JC , I knew she was going to be my friend. We just hit it off. We liked doing the same things, sewing, decorating and shopping etc. s She was such a loving, caring and helpful christian person. My family and her family just adopted each other. To George and I she was our sister, JC. We had lots of fun, she did the Thanksgiving Dinners and I had Christmas Eve Dinners with our families, and some times we would just have dinner together. I will always remember my dear friend JC. I know she has a place in heaven. I can guess she is using her beautiful voice singing in heaven's gospel choir or perhaps sewing the hem of a garment. Farewell to my dear friend , I loved you. I will forever remember the times you were in our lives.
Eva Reid
9/5/08
E
Mrs. Eva and Mr. George, Thank you so much for th e love and support you have shown us children through this time. You will forever be apart of our family. Love Deborah , Leona and Chuck
When I was little I remember momma use to always tell me everything was going to be alright as long as we had Jesus. Well as I got older she continued to say the same thing "Lee as long as you have Jesus everything will be alright". Well now you are gone and in a better place. You are with JESUS and I truly know everything is going to be alright . I use to say Momma Momma Momma and you would respond Lee what is it there is "JUST ONE ME". Yes only "JUST ONE YOU". My Queen, My Inspiration, My soulmate.
I will love you forever your baby girl
Lele
I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard see you could say to this mountain, "Move from her to there," and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.
Matthew 17:20 NLT
Thank you for imparting in me the faith of a mustard seed. For it has been your calm, wisdom, and patience that has guided me to be the woman that I am. I look forward to walking in your footsteps to have a life that is as rich and full as yours.
Thank you, for all you have done with faith and all that you did do because of faith.
Love Forever, Deborah Foster
All of us need a grandmother to praise the things we do, to think we're something special and to understand us, too...
Love Christopher Foster
“The Day”
Most look at a grave marker and the first thing we see is B1929-D1980. We have no knowledge of the person or the joys and pains of their life. We look at it as if they only lived and died; nothing was done in the middle. You’re born, you die. What do you do in the middle? Here is my proposal lets end all of them with a dash – let’s tell all of what they did. Their loves, their losses, their joys and their pains instead of ‘they died.’
“Day Two”
Feel much better. The Doctor gave the bad news. Funny…it didn’t sound that bad to me. I felt like there was nothing I wasn’t ready for or already knew. He was a good man, said a prayer and moved on to the next. I hope the news was better for the next.
She took it as well as anyone could, seeing as it was so bleak. We stood looking at each other as if it was unreal. This couldn’t be happening, not at this stage, only 64. She still had years to go, things to do, people to help. She lived a good life; in fact, it was better than most. She was always there to help, always had the words you needed to hear even if you thought otherwise.
Not many can say they did what she did. Three kids, three grand kids; very little jail time between all of them.
She is and will always be the greatest woman I have ever known. She will always be my mom
MSgt Charles E. Donaldson
undated
It seemed that even God shed tears for her when she passed.
In her final hours, even with a sky so bright and sunny, the rain came pouring down just for her.
We didn't notice inside, wrapped as we were in sorrow. Our attention was all given to her, and freely so. As was our love, our strength and our faith. We gave it all to her, hoping that she might draw one more breath.
As the air rattled in her chest and grew even more labored, we let our tears pour freely, those of us that could. Those who could not merely sat with her, held her hand, and offered their prayers to the lord.
Those prayers took many forms; some sang in lilting, piercing voices. Off tempo and often out of tune, sung by singers who seemed unfamiliar with the practice, these were some of the most beautiful melodies to ever grace Nana's halls. It wasn't the sound that gave them their glory, but the want and the need behind them. These weren't Negro spirituals begging to set us free. These were the Lord's Own Gospel bearing questions that we didn't realize we were asking.
The questions were only two, yet we could not decide which to ask. Many of us did not realize we had the choice to make. These questions were this: Set her free so that she may be by the Lord’s side, or keep her here so that she may be by ours.
In the end, the decision was taken out of our hands. As we sang, her breathe gradually came easier, and we thought that maybe she might make it another night, another week, another year. But though the breathe was easier, it was slower as well, and slowing all the time.
We left the room, believing that she may have come back from the brink, that she’d seen the tunnel and turned away, that she’d been to the gate and back again. Naive it may have been, such a simple belief. We could not help it, we wanted her back and we felt joy at the thought that maybe our wish had been granted…
In a way, it had. Though we wanted her to stay, what we wanted most was an unselfish wish, one that ask only that she not suffer any more. And so, she didn’t. She gave up the pain that had robbed her voice, the sorrow that wrinkled her brow and brought a perpetual frown to her lips. She relinquished the weakness that held her chained to a bed she never wanted to lay in; the sickness that wasted her body.
On August 31st at 8:22 pm, though the body lay weak and cold, Jean C. Donaldson-Spears spirit found the strength to take wing and seek the warmth and joy of the Lord’s Arms, and the solace that heaven is gauranteed to bring. Knowing the profound goodness and beauty of her soul, we are all sincerely sure that she found her way through those gates and into those welcoming, loving arms.
Dominick Donaldson
9/3/08
March 10, 1944 - August 31, 2008
Deborah Donaldson-Foster
14 years agoChavis, Thank you for sharing your beautiful experience with my Mother. She is truly a woman of God. I still speak of her in the presence because she lives on through all that she touched. Bless you and your ministry that you may go forth and touch others as my mother did with you. Please feel free to keep in touch. Deborah Donaldson-Foster deborah.donaldson@kroger.com