"You are and you will always be in my heart.
I Love You!"
In loving memory of
Lavinia A Holmes
September 10, 1951 - August 4, 2012
Lavinia A. Holmes was born on September 10, 1951 in Chicago, IL to Mr. Willie Pete Jones and Hattie Mae Williams. She was from a family of 14 children, the 8th child and 6th daughter. She attended elementary school in Chicago Public School system and high school at both Lucy Flowers and Farragut High School in Chicago. She was an accelerated, gifted and talented student. Lavinia had her major day of fame when she was a contestant on the National T.V. Game show called the Captain Kangaroo and "Bozo the Clown Show", because she was one of many middle school students with the highest IQ level, she was selected as a contestant. While on the Bozo Show Lavinia was the primary winner, she won numerous prizes and gifts, and shared all her winnings with her family and siblings.
Lavinia relocated to Milwaukee, WI in 1979, completed her studies in higher education and obtained her Associate Degree in Business and Medical Billing Administration from Stratton College in Milwaukee in 1984. She later became a certified Tax accountant and specialized in Tax Preparation for H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt. She was a Tax Instructor and Tax Preparer for over 35 years. She was well-known as the "Tax Lady". In the early nineties she became an associate partner at Jackson Hewitt Tax Services. Lavinia later relocated to Madison, WI from Milwaukee in 2005 to work as a regional manager at Jackson Hewitt Tax Service. Lavinia was the first to start selling corn at the South Madison's, Juneteenth Day Celebration, "The Corny Cob".
Lavinia enjoyed life to its fullest. She enjoyed gardening, both for eating and landscaping. Lavinia had a beautiful soul for socializing and entertaining to make others besides "Vada" feel secure and happy. She had a fun-filled love for fishing, prolific reader, partying for almost any occasion, and spending time at the casinos with family and friends. Lavinia fought a good fight of faith as she struggled with her cancer ordeal. During her lingering ordeal of cancer distress, ¬she would always say with her thumbs up "We in it to win it, till the end." Preceding her in death were her parents; brother, Joe Willie Jones and a sister, Frankie Jean Jones. Always the life of the party Lavinia leaves to cherish her fond and delighted memories 9 sisters, 2 brothers and an adopted brother: Florida Lee (Dallas, TX), Lula B. Jones (Madison, WI), Evangelist Dorothy Glenn (Phoenix, IL), Doris Jones (Phoenix, IL), Ary Lee Jones and his wife Mildred Jones (Knoxville, TN) , Bernice Bufford (Sun Prairie, WI), Pauline Zaimah (Canoga Park, CA), Minnie A. Jones (Monona, WI), Sylvia Jones (Middleton, WI), Minister Vontennie Jones-Savadogo (Madison, WI), George Jones, Jr. (Riverside, IL), Michael Jones (Milwaukee, WI). She also leaves to cherish her memories many nephews, nieces and other relatives including many spiritual children, along with a host of friends, fellows, and colleagues.
Tributes
"Rest in peace dear cousin You fought a great batle We extend condolences to the immediate family as we share in the lost of one so dear I see you now Vada talking....."
"Vada, always the life of any event, any party, and fun-filled engagement. My sister truly knew how to enjoy life to its fullest! Rest in Perfect Peace and Paradise "Queen". I know I will for sure miss you. Thanks for allowing me to be at your side throughout your ordeal of going through all the stuff that folks go through with cancer. Thank you for trusting me to advocate for you, be your voice when you had no voice, more than once, thank you for accepting me for who I am, thank you for your help in shaping me into becoming the women who I am today. Abou and Ali say thanks Auntie Vada for making us laugh all the time, and giving us our 1st birthday party! Thank you for being you and believing in me-that I would carry out your wishes. You said it, "they crazy lil sis" but you can do it. Thank you for not letting the spirit of fear overcome you throughout your suffering, for you had faced worth before is what you told me! I love you and I will really miss you! But, I feel in my soul that you are at rest with the peace that surpasses all understanding! I love you always Big Sis. Until we meet again! "
"Auntie and I shared a special bond; it was special and she's the one who taught me how to fish, hunt and gamble, she also taught me what being stern but nice, I know I got a lot of my bluntness from her too; man she pretty much raised me and Joey, since our birthdays are so close. She will always be my Honey and I was her Mary Jane, LOL!!! you will be missed my Honey and always in my heart."
"My fondest memory of auntie Vada, is when she would roll up the lids of her eyes to scare me and the nickname Diggaling. I never knew what it meant up until the last time I spoke with her just prior to her passing, after asking what it meant, she stated" after having two kids, I'm sure you know what it mean" , I said to her " I don't look like that". giggles and laughter, along with a meaningful prayer would be my last memories to cherish.
May her soul rest until the coming of the Lord."
"Thank you for being yourself."
"i remember My Sister as being a for real person, would tell you what she thought no matter what, she was blunt if I must say, but she had a heart of Gold."