Twenty-eight years ago, Rick and Donna Jones moved from Auburn to Birmingham for Rick’s job at what used to be Bell South, now AT&T.

Donna gained employment in the retail world as a buyer. However, she soon found that working in retail interfered with her family life and role as a mother.

When oldest daughter Paige was four, Jones brought her to attend kindergarten at First Baptist Church of Alabaster. A few years later when daughter Meri was ready for kindergarten, Jones had decided she needed to be employed in a job that was compatible with her children’s school hours.

She had done the stay-at-home Mommy thing, loved children and felt that God was speaking to her in reference to teaching. She believes that teaching has to be a calling for a Christian in order that one can give their very best for every child.

Conveniently, Jones went to work at First Baptist Church Alabaster.

Soft-spoken Jones said, “In teaching, I always want parents to know that I treat their babies the way I always wanted my own treated, fairly and with lots of love. Teaching is all about sowing seeds, nourishing them and waiting for the harvest.”

Jones has seen lots of harvests and loves to run into and keep up with her former students.

Jones credits the ladies at First Baptist in Alabaster as her inspiration as well as her mentors. Several of the teachers have been there longer than she. They are a tight group that shares teaching ideas, problems and solutions. Jones attempts to maintain a balanced relationship with God, church, home, family, career and personal involvement.

Hobbies include reading, crossword puzzles, all Auburn sports and at present the Jones’ are redecorating their home, which she describes as a challenge and a joy.

Son Ted is a restaurant manager on U.S. 280. Daughter Paige coaches softball in Florida and daughter Meri attends the University of Montevallo. She has no grandbabies yet, but Ted is getting married this summer.

Jones did a study tour in France, Italy and Spain while in college. She and Rick have been to the Bahamas twice and look forward to more travel in the future.

In her nearly 30 years of being a mom, Jones believes we have seen “family life” change. Families used to eat dinner together, children played outside until dark. Outside activities, electronic games and too much “busyness” did not splinter family time then as it does now. Also, the term “family” has changed. Grandparents, single parents, foster and adoptive parents all make some untraditional families. It still takes a village to raise a child.

There are many young folks who are happy they were a part Ms. Donna Jones’ village.

Caption:

Donna Jones with some of the students she teaches at First Baptist Church in Alabaster.

Sandra Thames writes a weekly column for the Shelby County Reporter. Contact her at bobthames1942@yahoo.com.

Editor’s note: Because of the need for clarification of some facts in this story, we are repeating it here from a previous Shelby County Reporter. We regret the errors.