~Bio~

Maternal Haplogroup: L2a1e

Ardonia "D. G." Jones Grant, 72, was born one of eleven children to her proud parents on 10 March 1887, the late Andrew and Mary Jones. To the best of our knowledge, the other children were Daisy, Dunbar, Orange, Shelley, Kato, Ephesia, Cecil, Everlena, Mutt, and Hugo Jones; all of whom are deceased. Her sibling Cecil Jones lived in Mims, Florida.

Ardonia's mother, Mary Jones, was born 12 October 1850; she died at age of 64 on 14 March 1914.

They met, courted, Ardonia and Ezekiel Sr. [affectionately called by their nicknames "DG" and "EG") then joined in holy matrimony in 1904. God blessed their union with twenty children. Four of the twenty children died before reaching adulthood. Another child, named Rosebud Grant (b. 1911 - d. 1917), died at the age of six from a head injury suffered while turning cartwheels, according to family oral history. The remaining fifteen children who grew into adulthood were as follows: Deacon James Grant (b. 1904 - d. 1975); Deacon Robert Grant Sr. (b.1907 - d. 1974); Deacon Ezekiel Grant, Jr. (b. 1910 -1996); Vanish Grant (b. 1910 - 1963); Sarah Grant McKenzie Myers (b. 1913 - 2003); Deacon Walter "Buddy" Grant (b. 1915 - d.1970); Fay Bell Grant Warren (b. 1916 – d. 2010); Mary "Willie" Grant Allen Felton (b. 1917 - d. 1999); Levi Grant (b. 1918 - 1976); Emma Grant Graham Bush (b. 1920 – d. 1988); Andrew "Johnnie" Grant (b. 1922 – d. 2017); Marian Elizabeth Grant Bowen (b. 1924 – d. 2000); Sanders Grant II (b. 1926 – 1972); Rosa Lee "Rose" Grant Clark Payne Johnson (b. 1928 – d. 2002); and Deacon Jacob Grant (b. 1930 – d. 2019).

James, Sanders, Sarah, and Rose relocated, spending most of their adult lives living in Syracuse, New York. Robert Sr., Ezekiel Jr., Fay Bell, Johnnie, and Willie remained in the Mims area. Emma relocated, living in Hartford, Connecticut. Jacob relocated the San Francisco, California area living most of his adult life there then moving to Rincon, Georgia briefly, before moving back to California in the Oakland area. Both Rose and Emma eventually moved back home to the Mims area.

Ardonia, Mother of the Greater St. James Missionary Baptist Church, was a Deaconess and served on the mother's board. Ardonia and Ezekiel were both devoted Christians. They both served faithfully under the pastorate of the late Reverend Williams, the late Moderator Massey, and the late Reverend Robert F. Peterson.

Ardonia preceded Ezekiel, Sr. in death. The last song she led during the church's testimonial service was "I'll be waiting up there". The Lord called her home before the next church service and heaven gained another angel when she earned her wings on 29 December 1959. According to family oral history, she succumbed to a heat stroke. Ezekiel Sr. joined her on 13 January 1979 when he earned his wings. Both are dearly missed. The passing created a void in our lives; however, we remain confident that someday we will join them up yonder in that glorious heavenly paradise in the sky.

Genetic testing has provided greater insight into Ardonia's origins. Her belonging to the maternal haplogroup L2a1e was confirmed for Ardonia by the honorable judge Crystal Harmon, who is the great-granddaughter of Ardonia's daughter Sarah Grant McKenzie Meyer. Ardonia's lineage can be traced back to eastern Africa over 150,000 years ago, with a long line of female ancestor. Direct female descendants from Ardonia's daughter Mary "Willie" Grant Allen Felton will also share the same haplogroup.