Sisterhood

Rashidah (nee Patricia Faison)

My dear sister Rashidah, I want to take this time to send to you and yours a heartfelt greeting of peace: as-salamu alaikum.

I think of you and my other sisters-in-law often. And, of course, happy memories of our beloved Patrick keep me company each day! 



I'm always happy to see your FBk page icon, showing that beautiful smile of yours. Also, I try to keep up with and follow postings of Patrick's many East Coast nieces and nephews -- I last counted 27, I think!

Patrick with some of his nieces at a family picnic in Brooklyn NY
(l to r: Venice, Patrick, Daniella, Paulette, Paula-- in background on the right: Cherry Li & Jean Lee)

Two years ago, I moved from Austin Texas to rural Oregon where I am surrounded and inspired by the natural beauty of mountains, rivers, and forests. I am thankful for each day. 

I stay busy with volunteer work on issues involving access to affordable health care, disability rights, and ending homelessness. I love to knit, do genealogy research, and I swim regularly to improve my health. Recently, with encouragement from my daughters, Molly and Sarah, I have begun writing again.

Patrick & one of his beloved sisters, Jean Lee

I very much miss having children in my daily life and am sad I have no grandchildren nearby.

Recently, I came across a photo taken of Patrick sitting on the floor playing with my granddaughter, Anna, during her visit with us in June of 2009, in Texas. 

Anna is now 7-years old and I am reminded that time waits for no one.

Patrick, Martha, & Anna (April 2010)

After Patrick died 4-years ago I received calls and emails for weeks from many people, some of whom had not been in contact with him for decades, wanting to say that knowing Patrick had made their lives better. 

This inspired me to want to write a book about his life.

I set up this blog 2-years ago, and sent out the message for folks to send me their stories about Patrick, to be published on this memorial website for everyone to read.

I also offered to edit or to write up the stories for those who didn't want to write, and, that offer still stands. 

Anyone can contact me to share their stories:

marthab1955@me .com 

-- and also email me to request my phone number, should they wish to call.

Patrick & his mom, Cherry Li

To date no one has chosen to participate in this legacy project, and now I'm hoping you and your sisters will help get this project going, by sharing some of the many stories YOU have about our beloved Patrick's Life.


I do, however, understand just how painful it might be to write/share those stories, because of how much he is missed. Still, I think it important his story be written. He touched the lives of so many, and the world is a better place

Perhaps I should just start writing the stories he told me about his younger days, and post them here on this legacy blog 

www.pljstories.blogspot.com

in hopes that his family after reading some of them, will be inspired to tell me their OWN stories about him, so that a book about his life can be compiled.  

It would be absolutely impossible for me to write about his life, without major input from his family, so I hope this project, with your help, will one day come to fruition.

Please share a link to this website with your children and other family, and encourage everyone to share their stories about Patrick. And, let folks know they can contact me any time, for any help they might need.

Me & Patrick (April 2010)

Wishing you and yours love and happiness,

In sisterhood -- Martha

‎"The lives of the dead are placed in the memories of the living." --Cicero

Patrick and Jean

L to R: Andrew Bryson, Susannah Bryson, Uncle Patrick, Matthew Bryson, 25 Dec 2009 Waco, TX

New York City: Patrick and Raven  6 October 2006

Baltimore: Patrick dancing with Molly and Adam - 2002 May

Patrick's precious family 

Some of Patrick's beloved nieces 

March, 2010: Gwen, Patrick, Barbara Lovely Bryson, Lake Travis, TX 

Patrick's business card

Baltimore, MD: Patrick and Molly, and Adam and Raven reflected in mirror behind Patrick

(May, 2002)

Our Wedding Day: 3 July 2010, Austin TX

July 2009, Austin TX

Papa D: born in 1927, His Parents and His Siblings

When Patrick moved from Baltimore to Austin, Texas on 10 May 2008, one of my favorite hobbies was doing genealogy. He asked me to begin research on his family and I set up a family tree for him in Ancestry.com, under the username: magickbetty. Then, on 23 May 2009, Patrick phoned Aunt Rose and asked me to interview her. Here is one of the stories that came from that phone interview.

Aunt Rose says . . .

I talked on the phone today with Aunt Rose (Rose Marie Jones, sister of David Fitzhue Jones, father of Patrick Leo (Faison) Jones. Aunt Rose lives in Hampton, Virginia (relocated there in 1991, presumably from New York City). I needed some basic information to be able to proceed with the research of the ancestors of Patrick Jones. I received a lot of information from Aunt Rose, who will be 75 years old on 14 July 2009. She is the oldest living relative of Bertha Connelly Jones, grandmother of Patrick Jones. None of her cousins or siblings, that she knows of, are still living. Here is what Aunt Rose can remember about her parents and her siblings. Her mother, Roberta J. "Bertha" Conley (in various records, also spelled: Connelly, Connally, Conly) (b. 4 Mar 1904, d. 17 Feb 1970) married a man whose given name she cannot recall, but whose surname was Parker. (My ancestry research found his name to be Moses Parker.) Bertha and Moses Parker had three children, James Leo (abt 1925), John Hardy (abt 1926), and David Fitzhue (6 Feb 1927). Bertha's husband died 24 May 1929, when the three boys were still babies. That same year she met and married Henry Jones, and had three more children, twin boys Willie Jonas, and Arthur Junas, "Jimmy", and a daughter, Rose Marie (Aunt Rose, b. 14 Jul 1934). Bertha also helped raise Riley (b. abt 1913), son of Henry from a previous marriage. Aunt Rose recalls there was never any distinction made in Bertha and Henry's household as to who was a step-sibling. All seven children shared the surname, Jones, as Henry legally adopted the Parker boys: James, John, and David when he married Bertha.

(as told to Martha Mae Bryson by Aunt Rose)