Faith and Hope

Faith and Hope. Copeland Street. , Copeland Street had its share of homes and businesses in the Frenchtown enclave. The most frequented business was Mitchell's Funeral Home, which later became Strong and Jones Funeral Home. The most infamous spot was Malones Bar and Grill, where alcohol flowed, a monkey tossed fruit from a cage, and a little dog rode on the back of Malone’s motorcycle. The houses were a mix of shotgun and stately vernacular styles. Eunice Spencer Carter and her sister Bessie Weems King, both educators, provided the street with a proper sense of decorum and respectability. The family house is still standing and is currently owned by Mrs. King's son, Na'im Akbar and his family. , Across the street from the Spencer house resided D. J. Mannings, a driver for Quick-Service Taxi, and his wife Eva, a public school teacher. In the 1940s, the couple became the proud parents of twin daughters Jean and Jeanette. The expanded family relocated to a new home off of Carolina Street. After complaints of frequent flooding, many area residents decided to relocate. Subsequently, the city constructed a retention pond on the site. , Strong and Jones Funeral Home was the joint project of two ambitious families. After the death of Thomas Strong, his wife, Mamie, needed a new funeral director; she asked family friend Elbert Jones to consider joining her enterprise. Jones accepted her offer and in 1947 became co-owner, Mamie and Elbert, along with their children , Robert, Betty, and Winifred and Inez, Linn Ann, and Elbert Jr., respectively , merged to form Strong and Jones Funeral home. The business continued to be successful even after Mamie and Elbert died and Linn Ann Jones Griffin and Darrell Lawrence became co-owners. The business was epitomized by its motto, "Gracious and Dignified Service." , Farther along the street was the home of Reverend William Washington, an owner of rental properties and an associate minister at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was the father of Bennie Mae Reid George, who lived next door where she raised her daughter, Johnella Reid. , A future Harlem Globetrotter, Tommy Mitchell and his parents lived in the 500 block of the street. He was a student at Griffin High School before transferring to Florida A&M High School. At both schools he was a scholar and a star basketball player. After playing for Florida A&M University, he became a Harlem Globetrotter and travelled extensively with the team for several years. After retiring from the sport, he and his wife, Audrey Smith, returned to Tallahassee where he became an administrator and later, the Director of Alumni Affairs at Florida A&M University.