Mabry Lyles, is recognized by the State of South Carolina

Mabry Lyles, Who is he? Well, we are going to tell the story of Mabry Lyles and his legacy as it travels down through generations until it reaches one who is with us today, Dr. Vera Jeter-Jones, Mabry's only surviving grandchild, who is one of Zion's most Christian and Knowledgeable women in Zion.

I will begin by telling Zionites how Mr. Mabry Lytes was brought to our attention, which some of the people in the area knew. The State of South Carolina launched a program in the state to find people in the state who had been slaves and had grown up and become outstanding citizens in their communities, and in the end, they were lynched. So, the name of Dr. Vera Jeter-Jones's grandfather was found in the state archives. The state workers contacted Union County President of the NAACP, Mr. James Russell Rice, who is a member of New Hope A.M.E. Zion Church located in Union County, The place where Mabry was lynched. Mr. Rice Mr. Rice knew about the situation of the life and death of Dr. Jeter-Jones’ grandfather. The state workers set a date to meet with the granddaughter In Spartanburg, SC, of which she resides, for an interview. Mr. Rice attended the interview. Let us understand that the state of South Carolina pursued Dr. Jeter-Jones and used state archives to gather the information, and she concurred with their findings.

We, the people of the Spartanburg District, are happy to share with our sisters and brothers of Zion the legacy of a man named Mr. Mabry Lyles of Union County (Tucker Town), South Carolina. His beginnings started in Ethiopia; from Ethiopia to Angola, which is near Senegal River; from there, his parents, who were not family at that time, boarded a slave ship and sailed to the new world, that docked in Virginia; from there to South Carolina. His parents, Caroline and Aaron Lyles grew up and were married, and in 1858, they became parents of a bouncing baby boy named Mabry Lyles. Based on his birth year, readers can understand why he is called a “CHILD SLAVE.” He lived as a slave from his binh, 1858, until Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. This made Mabry around 5 years of age when he became free. Even though Mabry was just a baby, he had a job. His job was to fan the flies away from the table as his master and family ate their meals. According to what he told his daughter, he did not like his first job.

As time went on, even though slavery had lifted, he and his family worked on a farm and were treated like slaves. Mabry grew up to be a young leader in his community. "Tucker Town”. He did not have a formal education, yet the people looked upon him as a brilliant young man who could help them and help them with their day-to-day business.  He was known as the *Whiz" Mathematician. His math skills were passed down to one of his grandsons and one of his great-grandsons. He and his grandson and great-grandson need paper or pencil to give you a mathematical answer.

Mabry was a young man who served his community well with what he had to offer them. There were several things that he wished for his community to have. However, being a young adult, he had not given much thought to his priority. Then God showed His power in 1887 by sending one of the largest earthquakes in the United States throughout the eastern part of the country. This earthquake frightened all of the people, especially the young men who lived in Tucker Town Community. The Archives in Columbia, SC, which is the Capital of South Carolina, shows the exact words that were spoken about building a church for the community. Mabry, as his brother Eison joined him, stated, “De earthquake shuck and shuck all night and we prayed and prayed all night, and de next morning us thanked the Lord for keeping us safe.” The next day, Mabry called the boys around him and said, “Us going to build us a church, and us going to name it St. Luke.” St. Luke Church became a reality. How did this happen without land? A Caucasian man in the community gave them land and allowed them to cut timber from his property to build the structure. Logs were used for pews. The church was completed around 1889.

They had no preacher, but they had their church name: St. Luke Church. Finally, a minister to the community who happened to be an A.M.E. Zion minister. Mabry got busy working on this minister, trying to convince him to become the Pastor at St. Luke Church. The minister decided to become their Pastor, and the name of St. Luke Church was changed to St. Luke A.M.E. ZION. Because Mabry Lyles found an A.M.E. Zion Pastor for the church that he and his siblings and cousins had built, it became an A.M.E. Zion Church. “ST. LUKE A.M.E. ZION CHURCH, CARLISLE, SC. Now, for those of you who don't understand why Mabry Lyles is called the founder of St. Luke A.M.E. Zion Church, I hope that you will comprehend the reason why.

Mabry became a strong member of the A.M.E. Zion Church. He was married to Agnes Thompson-Lyles. They were blessed with six children. Mabry and Agnes were devout Christians. Mabry instilled in his children 3 points. They were to love and serve God, love everybody, and get good. Even though times were hard for his children, they lived by his principles as much as possible. They were givers and workers for God. His oldest daughter, Cleora, was a hard-working woman in Zion. She placed the first electric lights in St. Luke A.M.E. Zion Church. She also purchased a beautiful Pulpit set, which is used today and is still beautiful. His youngest daughter, Mahala, who is Dr. Jeter-Jones’ mother, purchased the first piano for St. Luke, and it is still in use. It is the only piano the church has owned. Mabry's daughter Mahala and her husband, Mr. Charner Jeter, also were good givers to Clinton College during Dr. Moreland's tenure there. She and her husband would carry truckloads of food from their farm to Clinton College to help feed the students.

She served as Secretary of Y's during her youth at St. Luke and as Missionary President in her senior years at Arch St. A.M.E. Zion Church. She was a Zionite who knew the A.M.E. Zion Church Discipline from cover to cover. She was loved by most people. Her Bishop, Bishop Richard L Fisher, came all the way from St. Louis, MI, to attend her funeral in 1989.

Mabry's legacy moves on down to his grandchildren. God gave him and Agnes nine wonderful grandchildren. They all were and are church-goers, Christians, hard workers in the church, showed love toward others, and certainly did not forget about education. This is a reminder that he is the grandfather of nine, and out of the nine, eight graduated from college, and one grandson enlisted in the Army. God has really blessed this family throughout the years.

Mr. Mabry has hopefully met his six children and eight of his nine grandchildren in Heaven. We believe that God has left his only surviving grandchild, who is the youngest here with us, to carry on his legacy for a while longer. She is an anointed lady and is very much alive and on fire for the Master. It would take a month to tell how she has and is carrying on her duties for the Master. She tells us that she is keeping her and Grandpa's legacy alive. Dr. Jeter-Jones has been blessed with multiple God Sent talents that she shares with her fellow man. I remember my Missionary Supervisor, the late Joan Fisher, giving compliments to her; she said, “ I have never met a person who has as many different talents as you and does them well. God has really blessed you“. Do you know her around Zion? Her name is Dr. Vera Jeter-Jones, who is the youngest and the only surviving grandchild of the late Mabry and Agnes Thompson-Lyles and is the youngest and only surviving child of the late Chamer and Mahala Lyles-Jeter.

Let us talk about this Baby Girl, Dr. Jeter-Jones. She started on her journey for the Master in Zion as an 11-year-old Bud. After taking music lessons at an early age, she became a musician for Williams Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. Her musical training continued throughout her college days at Livingstone College, even though she was not a music major. She was a member of the Concert Choir at Livingstone. After graduating from Livingstone, Dr. Jeter-Jones took Graduate music classes at Converse University in Spartanburg, SC. Her musical talents include Clarinetist, Organist, Pianist, Keyboard Player, Sacred Music Writer, loves to write Children's Musical, loves to present Easter Cantatas, Minister of Music, Choir Director, Voice Instructor, and Soprano Soloist. She has been a member of the Concert and marching band at Sims High School in Union, SC, and Germantown High School in Philadelphia, PA.

I am changing her title and calling her Miss Vera because I have known her since I was an older Bud and she was a young adult. Miss Vera Came to Spartanburg after graduating from Livingstone College. She was hired as a teacher and joined Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church. It was all over then. She began working in the church, bringing community children to church, working with children in the city, organized a girl's teenage softball team with girls from Zion as well as girls from the city. This organization was run by the city, but each team would have its own sponsor. Metropolitan was the sponsor of her team. Miss Vera was her team's coach. She was a tough coach. The first year that her team entered the city play-off, her team won the play-off. She coached them to Victory (City Champs). The trophy that her team won is at her home as I write this story. Mabry was working through his Baby Girl, Vera.

She has served in many capacities in her local Churches; to name a few, she has served as Chair of the Trustee Board, Minister of Music, Financial Secretary, Church Secretary, President of Stewardess Board, Deaconess, Served as Administrator of The Happy Home Medical Adult Daycare Center, of which she initiated, Event Planner/Decorator, Coordinator of YAMS, Advisor to all Missionary Departments, Girl Scout Leader, and Directress of Christian Education. As you can see, she is a well-rounded lady in Zion. Miss Vera is well-known and is liked by the people in Spartanburg because she shows her love and helping hands to people of all denominations and races.

Over the years, Dr. Jeter-Jones and her family have worked hard with labor and financially helped to bring the Spartanburg District to a higher plane. Let us keep the higher plane going. Dr. Jeter-Jones served as Director of Children. It was Dr. Jeter-Jones who organized the first YAMS Missionary group in the Spartanburg District and became the first Coordinator of YAMS; served as Lay Council President, Founder of The John Posey Memorial Lay Council Banquet, Organized the first YAMS and Lay Council Choirs and served as Minister of Music, served as District Secretary and Financial Secretary, treasurer of District missionary and District Event Planner/Decorator.

Mabry Lyles' Legacy moves through his granddaughter at the Palmetto Conference level as she organized the first Palmetto Conference Choir and served as Minister of Music, organized a South Atlantic Episcopal Choir, and Presented a concert in Myrtle Beach, SC, at a Lay Council Convocation, served as Conference Auditor, and also serves on the Conference Trustee Board.

Let's move to the International level of the A.M.E. Zion Church. She has served on the Connectional Budget Board for 8 years, served as a member of the Education Committee, and served on the Board of Trustees at Clinton College.

We can't forget that she is a giving person and is able to motivate others to give. When she served as our Coordinator of YAMS, our district was on fire. The YAMS raised funds to send to Africa to help build schools, gave funds to the Prison System to help build a chapel, gave funds to Clinton College to help build the small library, sent funds to Livingstone for special needs students, presented a concert at USC, Union, to help build an uninsured A.M.E. Zion Church that had been burned, Sponsored Senior Citizen Banquets every other year, Sponsored Teen Sleep-IN at the YMCA for Zion teens and teens from the city, (Mrs. Mary Patterson Helped) with Sleep In. Carried senior citizens on trips to the Smokey Mountains (Mrs. Teresa Howell) helped with the trips, sponsored a yearly Clothe Give-Away in low-income developments, Arch Street A.M.E. Zion Church YAMS, which was Dr. Jeter-Jones’ church raised enough funds to send 17 girls in Africa to school for 1 year. We should be proud of how Mabry's teaching moves in the heart of his granddaughter.

We will never forget how Miss Vera's heart was touched when she served as District Lay Council President. The first thing that she detected was that there was a need to teach the people. She consulted with the Presiding Elder and Bishop during that time. They were elated over her zeal. She began presenting outstanding workshops in Spartanburg District as well as at the Arthur Marshall Faith and Order Meeting in Rock Hill, SC. Her team also had a heart for giving. Miss Vera and her Vice President, Miss Josephine Gilliam, worked hard to see that people who were in need, regardless of their denomination, would get help. They would go out and find furniture for the needy and carry it to them on Jeter-Jones’ brother's truck. Again, they were using Mabry's grandson's truck. Mrs. Eleanor Williams and Miss Vera's daughter, Trina, Miss Gilliam, and Miss Vera would carry the furniture into the needy person's home. Who is working now? Mabry's great-granddaughter Trina, his granddaughter Vera, a descendent (cousin), Miss Josephine, and a friend, Mrs Williams. Under Miss Vera's leadership, the Lay Council gathered food, essentials, and money for the people in North Carolina when Hurricane Floyd hit that state. Our President, Miss Vera, sent out an SOS to the city of Spartanburg. Our people, as well as the city of Spartanburg, responded very well. This area was where Bishop Battle's mother lived. Arch St A.M.E. Zion Church was the drop-off site. Men from Trinity-Woodruff and Arch St. A.M.E. Zion Churches came to load the large U-Haul Truck. Mr. Howell, husband of Mrs. Teresa Howell, who was a member of Stephen Grove A.M.E. Zion Church, drove the truckload of goods near Virginia with some members, including the Lay President, trailing behind him in their cars to help unload the goods. See how God works in Miss Vera. God and memories of her grandpa, whom she has never seen, help to keep her fired up to do God's will.

GOD is still moving in Miss Vera's life outside of Zion. She presently serves as a Pole Manager and Prescient President in Spartanburg County. She is the Minister of Music of the Spartanburg Sympathy Ministry Choir, which is an elected position. She organized a Spartanburg City Children's Choir. Dr. Jeter-Jones is the founder of The Spartanburg City and County Ecumenical Missionary Society.

She is also the first and only A.M.E. Zion Church woman in South Carolina to be elected to serve as the South Carolina State President of Church Women United. Dr. Jeter-Jones is also the first and only A.M.E. Zion woman to be elected to serve as The Spartanburg City Unit of Church Women United. She is the first and only A.M.E. Zion Church woman in the state of South Carolina to receive The Regional Humanitarian Award from the South Eastern Region of Church Women United. We are proud of her service in this organization. She was up against women from states that make up the South Eastern Region, which are Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and Porto Rica. We thank God for her leadership in all areas of her work.

Upon visiting her home, as I entered her den, I saw more awards, plaques, degrees, and diplomas on the walls than I had ever seen. You name them; they were there. I do remember seeing 2 from the International A.M.E. Zion Church and a recent Humanitarian Award from the city of Spartanburg. I also saw an award from one of the Baptist churches in town.

Dr. Jeter-Jones is an educator and is certified to teach in several areas. She began her college education at Livingstone College and graduated with a BA Degree. Seemingly, she has never stopped going to school since graduating from Livingstone College. A few years after she started teaching, she was chosen by the University of South Carolina as a Master Teacher of Science and was given a scholarship to work on her Master's Degree at the University. Science was not her major, yet she moved out of her comfort zone and did well. She has matriculated at most of the universities in South Carolina, including Clemson University, Furman University, University of South Carolina, and Converse University. Dr. Jeter-Jones has also studied at other types of schools, which prepared her to choose a different career if she desired to do so.

Her main career has been teaching in the classroom... however, she is equipped to have several other careers. She is a Certified Dementia Specialist, Certified Crisis Responder, Certified Hospice & Palliative Caregiver, Certified Prison Ministry Church Organizer, Realtor/ Diversified Cash flow Specialist, Financial Broker, Licensed Cosmetologist & Hair Designer/Barber, and Professional Event Planner/Decorator. I am sure that Miss Vera's Grandpa Mabry is looking down on his baby granddaughter, which he has never seen on this earth, saying,” Thank God for my baby girl; she is everything that I wanted her to be.” The members of the Spartanburg District thank God for The anointing that He has placed on Dr. Jeter-Jones’ life. She has excelled through God's power.

I pray that each person who reads this story about the legacy of Mabry Lyles as it moved down to his only surviving grandchild will understand that I lived through much of Miss Vera's work here in the Spartanburg District. This is not fiction. I worked under her leadership as her YAMS Assistant when she served as District Coordinator and was appointed to that position when she resigned.

At the close of my interview with Dr. Jeter-Jones, I asked her why did she have so many different fields of study. She looked at me with a slight smile and said, "I have several reasons.” I said, “Tell me about them.” She began to tell her reasons. She said that she was a Miracle Child because she was born very late in her parents' life. She continued by saying that as she began to grow up from a very young child, she realized that God brought her here for a divine purpose. As she grew older and began to understand what happened to her grandpa and learned about the 3 principles that he had left for them to live their lives by, she decided to please him. Dr. Jeter Jones stated that as she looks back in time, she realizes how her mother pushed her into reading and writing before she was old enough and even sent her to school before she had reached the correct age. However, she was able to keep up with her class. She laughed and said that the joke was on the rest of her family because she believed that her family thought that she might be a (Special Needs Child) because of her late birth. That didn't happen. God gave her more different talents than He gave to her 5 siblings. To God be the Glory. Mabry Lyles' grandchild was Born and Called for a divine purpose.

Dr. Vera Jeter-Jones is a member of Chestnut Ridge A.M.E. Zion Church, Spartanburg, SC; the Pastor is The Reverend Tammy Wheeler, The Reverend Dr. Victor C. Wilson, Presiding Elder, and The Reverend Dr. Eric L. Leake, Presiding Prelate.

Mabry Lyles, who was a child slave, has been recently recognized by the state of South Carolina for his courageous work for the people in his community and for giving his life in the form of lynching while giving help to his family. The state placed a Historic Marker at Rose Hill State Park in Union, SC. The marker has a picture of Mabry Lyles and their wife, Agnes Thompson-Lyles, engraved on it.

Lynched: 1934