Southampton-Nansemond County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Jones, Dr. Darden W., 2000 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ DARDEN W. JONES Darden W. Jones, D.D.S., a man of God, family, many friends and professional and civic accomplishments, died March 19, 2000, in Southampton Memorial Hospital after a nearly five-week valiant fight in intensive care following knee surgery. He was 94 years young. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Annie Glenn Jones of Franklin; two sons, Darden W. "Watt" Jones Jr. of Norfolk and Edgar R. "Eddy" Jones and his wife, Linda, of Williamsburg; a stepson, James A. "Jim" Nicholas Jr. of Flushing, N.Y.; stepdaughter, Glenda Nicholas Burke of Richmond; stepgrandsons, Geoffrey Burke, Ed Nicholas and Jay Nicholas; two stepgreat- granddaughters; a sister, Mary Rawles Stephenson of Suffolk; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was born in Nansemond County on Jan. 16, 1906, the eldest son of five brothers and three sisters, children of Brock and Selma Jones. After graduating from Holy Neck Elementary School and Holland High School, he attended Elon College where he received an A.B. degree in 1927. In 1931, he graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., with a degree in dental surgery. He returned to Franklin where he established a dental practice that continued for 45 years. He married Sara V. Rawlings of Capron in 1939 and became a community leader. Dr. Jones was a most faithful member of Franklin Congregational Christian Church for more than 67 years. He was past chairman of the board of deacons and board of trustees, member of the choir for over 50 years, chairman of the music committee and superintendent of Sunday school. He was active in the men's Bible class and men's fellowship and served in many other capacities with his church. He was a charter member, organizer and still active member with over 67 years of perfect attendance of the Franklin Lions Club, where he served as president on two occasions, Zone President, Melvin Jones Fellow, and recent organizer and developer of the Franklin Lions Club Community Center. He was a former member of the Southside Dental Society and the American Dental Society, receiving a 40-year membership award in 1973. Dr. Jones was elected to City Council in 1946 and served for 28 years; he served 17 years as mayor from 1957 to 1974. During his tenure, Franklin progressed from a town to a city with annexation in 1960. Notable accomplishments were the formation of a Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Berkley Urban Renewal project and downtown renewal project, construction of S.P. Morton Elementary School and Franklin High School, development of a comprehensive plan for city growth, zoning ordinance and subdivision ordinance. He instituted a year-round recreational program and assisted in the development of the Oak Street Community Center. He helped establish the Franklin Industrial Park, locating four new industries there, assisted with the construction of a City Health Center and establishment of Paul D. Camp Community College. He was selected as First Citizen of Franklin in 1973 for his humanitarian, civic and professional contributions to his community. Dr. Jones contributed to the further development of eastern Virginia through his efforts on the following boards: Member of the Board of Trustees of Elon Home for Children in Elon College, N.C., with a branch opened in Suffolk; past president of Elon College Alumni Association; past president of the Suffolk Chapter of Elon College Alumni and served on the Foundation Board of Elon College. He served on the first Board of Visitors of Old Dominion University, when it grew from Old Dominion College to a university. He was president for several years of the Hillcrest Nursing Home in Suffolk. He was presently serving on the Board of Directors of the Tidewater Automobile Association for over 30 years. He was a member of the Franklin/ Southampton Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of Cypress Cove Country Club and past treasurer of the club. Dr. Jones was active in the organization of the Bank of Franklin, now United Community Bank, and served as chairman of the Board for 17 years. He was especially proud to have maintained his homeplace at Holy Neck and farms in Capron which he loved. He also was instrumental as an active committee member in developing Southampton Agricultural and Forestry Museum in Courtland. Those who know him best knew him as a man for all seasons and all people. He gave of himself to others in so many ways; we'll all miss him! As he would have liked, donations may be made to the Franklin Congregational Christian Church, 412 N. High St., Franklin, VA, or to the Franklin Lions Building Fund, c/o Harry E. Spalding, D.D.S., Treasurer, P.O. Box 148, Franklin, VA 23851. Services will be held at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in Franklin Congregational Christian Church. Burial will be in Poplar Spring Cemetery. The family will receive friends today from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the residence at 716 West Second Ave., Franklin. Wright Funeral Home has charge of arrangements. Page: B6 ****************************************************************************** DARDEN WATKINS JONES, FRANKLIN DENTIST, DIES AT 94 RECEIVED HONORS FOR CIVIC CONTRIBUTIONS Dentist Darden Watkins Jones of Franklin was always involved in projects that involved people, and he was determined to succeed at whatever he attempted. Last year, at 93, despite macular degeneration that limited his reading and writing abilities, he was co-chairman of a drive to buy the Franklin Lions Club a community center and helped find the 20 men necessary to start the Franklin Lions Club Community Center. A charter member and an organizer of the club, he was twice elected president, served as zone president and was named a national Lions Club Melvin Jones Fellow for "dedicated humanitarian services." For more than 67 years, he had perfect club attendance, seeking out clubs in other cities when he went on trips. Dr. Jones, 94, died Sunday in a Southampton hospital. A Nansemond County native and the second of eight children, he earned a bachelor's degree at Elon College in 1927. Unsure what profession to pursue, he followed a friend who was a dental student to Emory University, where he received a degree in dental surgery in 1931. "He had to work his way through," said his wife, Annie Glenn Jones. "Each summer he had a sandwich shop in Virginia Beach, where he said he could make more money than pulling teeth. He sold dental equipment to students." After graduating from dental school, he returned to Franklin to establish a dental practice that would continue for 45 years. In 1946, Dr. Jones was elected to Franklin Town Council and served for 28 years. He was mayor of Franklin from 1957 to 1974. During his tenure, Franklin progressed through many changes, including from a town to a city as the result of a 1960 annexation. He also was instrumental in the construction of a City Health Center and establishment of Paul D. Camp Community College. In 1973, he was named First Citizen of Franklin for his humanitarian, civic and professional contributions to his community. For more than 67 years, he was a member of Franklin Congregational Christian Church, where he was a former chairman of the deacons and trustees boards, sang tenor for more than 50 years in the choir, chaired the music committee and served as Sunday school superintendent. He served on the first board of visitors of Old Dominion University and was president for several years of Hillcrest Nursing Home in Suffolk. At the time of his death, he had served for more than 30 years as a director of the Tidewater Automobile Association. He was a member of the Franklin- Southampton Chamber of Commerce and was a member and former treasurer of the Cypress Cove Country Club. Dr. Jones also was instrumental in the organization of the Bank of Franklin, now United Community Bank, and served as board chairman for 17 years. His first wife, Sara V. Rawlings Jones, died in 1966. In addition to Annie Glenn Jones, his wife of 31 years, he is survived by two sons, Darden W. "Watt" Jones Jr. of Norfolk and Edgar R. Jones of Williamsburg; a stepson, James A. Nicholas Jr. of Flushing, N.Y.; a stepdaughter, Glenda Burke of Richmond; and a sister, Mary Rawles Stephenson of Suffolk. His funeral will be Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at Franklin Congregational Christian Church in Franklin. Burial will be in Poplar Spring Cemetery in Franklin. Darden Watkins JONES, D.D.S., former Franklin councilman & mayor, b. 16 Jan 1906, Nansemond Co., d. 19 Mar 2000, Franklin, interred in Poplar Spring Cemetery (Sect. 2, Plot 3*), Franklin, 22 Mar 2000, "Virginian-Pilot" (Norfolk, VA), Mar. 21, 2000, B6; "Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch," Mar. 21, 2000 *Buried with his first wife. Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, Poplar Spring list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/poplar2.txt Her obit ("Tidewater News," Sep. 12, 1966, p. 7) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/j520s2ob.txt His widow is buried with her first husband in Annex 2, Plot 95. Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, Poplar Spring list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/psanx2.txt His parents are buried in a Holy Neck Christian Church Cemetery. Holy Neck list, an extension of the SCHS Cemetery Project: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/holynk.txt Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), and re-formatted by File Manager. file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/j520d5ob.txt