Mary Norwood Jones

Mary Norwood Jones, along with three others, will soon be remembered with a dedication at Chapel Hill’s Peace and Justice Plaza for her civil rights work in Chapel Hill.  I knew her as the person who took care of Northside.  When I first moved to Northside in 2002, I would often see Mrs. Jones out picking up cans, paper and other debris that littered the street our homes shared.  I find myself following her example picking up trash as I walk through the neighborhood with my daughter.  Mrs. Jones also had a beautiful yard with huge hydrangea bushes and a tidy lawn.  It was again following her example that had me up on Saturday mornings pushing my lawn mower when I would rather be sleeping in and experimenting with what plants my brown thumb could keep alive in my front flower beds.  While my yard still has far to go, I keep at it, thinking about the approving words she would give me if she found me kneeling in the dirt trying to beat back crabgrass to make room for some newly planted perennials.  Along with planting tips, Mrs. Jones talked about the importance taking care of the young people and keeping the neighborhood looking nice.