Staunton History of African American Business Community

Staunton History of African American Business Community. Kenneth L. Jones Funeral Home (1946-2006). Funeral "parlors" were among the first businesses opened by African Americans after slavery was abolished. Undertaking was a promising profession for any aspiring black entrepreneur. The funeral director was a well-respected, and well-dressed, figure in the community, and the funeral home was a place of safety. , , One of Staunton's most outstanding African American business establishments was the Kenneth L. Jones Funeral Home. Born on December 1, 1905, Mr. Jones received his license as a funeral director in December 1945. The Kenneth L. Jones Funeral Home was founded on January 1, 1946. He was the sole owner of the business for 49 years, and provided burial services for over 3,000 people. Mr. Jones was the son of the late William Elmore Jones and Lucy Lee Smith Jones. He and his wife, Emma Taylor "Happy" Jones, had no children. Mr. Jones died on December 1, 2004 at the age of 99. , , His brother, Oscar Jones, assisted with the business from the beginning. Oscar and his wife, Alice A. Jones, were graduates of Eckels School of Embalming in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They were both licensed embalmers and funeral directors. , , The original location of the funeral home was at 14 Quarry Street. The business moved to this building on North Augusta Street, constructed by J. B. Wine and Son Contractors, on December 5, 1949. The North Augusta Street building served as both mortuary and residence with a full basement for additional work space. , , The funeral home business was sold in January 2006 to McCutcheon Enterprises, Inc. The McCutcheon and Jones Funeral Home continues to operate in Waynesboro, Virginia. , (captions) , Mr. Kenneth L. Jones, 1905-2004, pictured here in front of the funeral home with his beloved Mustang, was the first Black Vice-Mayor of Staunton, a true civic leader, serving on community boards and giving substantial donations to charity. He loved to entertain and travel., It was common practice for African Americans to convert the bottom floor of their private home into a funeral home, which were then popularly called "Funeral Parlors." This 1950's photograph shows the Jones Funeral Home, which was built with the mortuary on the bottom floor and the residence above.