Voices of Stafford

Shirley was born in Toluca, Virginia before the area was renamed Garrisonville. She & her husband, James, live in the western Garrisonville Road area. Mrs. Jones is one of the longest living members of Mount Ararat Baptist Church situated on Toluca Road. Her family has been active in the church since its beginning. She served as the church’s pianist and organist for many years as well as holding other leadership positions. She reports that services were not held during the winter because of muddy clay roads. Her family includes a rich history of merchants, a postmaster, farmers and custom grain threshers. Her relatives were among the leading families in the area during the last century. Mrs. Jones retired from the Quantico Marine Base in 1995 after 42 years of government service.