Lillian Elizabeth Jones Manuel, 91, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2024. Lillian was born on January 29, 1933 to George Thomas Jones and Elizabeth Coleman Jones of Spotsylvania County. The Jones family was established on Slab Town Road where the extended Coleman family surrounded them. Lillian was a part of a large family of ten siblings: five girls and five boys. She was educated in the segregated Spotsylvania School System. She walked in all types of weather to Summit School and was taught by Mrs. Eleanora Lewis.

As a child, Lillian was baptized by Reverend Price at Second New Hope Baptist Church. She also attended St. Stephen's Baptist Church, Real Life Community Church, and Restoration Community Church. The Lord led her to be baptized a second time at the age of 89 by her son, Pastor Chris Manuel, at Restoration Community Church. She loved the Lord and her church family and often shared that she slept with her Bible in her bed with her.

Lillian established herself as a great cook at an early age. When her mother would be away on shopping trips, Lillian was known to kill, clean, and cook a chicken, along with fresh vegetables from the garden and serve her siblings a feast. She would burn the chicken feathers and clean up all the remnants of the meal she had prepared so her mother, "Ma" never knew.

During the 1950's, one of the hot spots in the Black community was the "Little Harlem" Restaurant in the 500 block of Princess Anne Street. That is where Lillian met Ned "Pedro" Manuel who would soon be her husband. The couple made their home in the Fredericksburg area starting in Slab Town, then Mayfield, back to Slab Town and settling on Leavell Shop Road. They had four sons: Ned, Charles, Gregg, and Chris. Lillian and Pedro were known for their "Bid Wiz" card parties where family and friends would gather for fun and good food.

Lillian's cooking skills led to her employment in restaurants such as Martin Manor and Truck Stop in Massaponax and Mom and Pop's Diner where her sisters Janie and Bessie had also worked, and Paris Inn Restaurant on Princess Anne Street. Lillian later worked at the Soul Train clothing store on Caroline Street, Hughes Nursing Home, and Commonwealth Nursing Home. After retiring, Lillian volunteered her time at the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank.

Lillian liked traveling and being social. She would get her purse and head for the car as soon as anyone said "go". She, like her mother, was always a "telephone talker". You could always depend on a call or a visit from her to check on you. If she stopped by and you were cooking, she always wanted a sample but was nice enough not to tell you how bad it tasted.

She was very proud of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She would give them nicknames all ending in "Baby" starting with her older children who became Booger Baby, Charlie Baby, and Stevie Baby, and niece Tootie Baby. She had an especially close bond with her youngest grandson, Zekey Baby.

Lillian was very close to her older sister Emma Jane who everyone called Janie. When Lillian was diagnosed with an illness and was very upset, Janie told her not to worry, that she was going to live to see all the rest of the siblings gone. And she did.

She leaves to cherish her memories three of her sons: Charles, Gregg, and Chris; her grandchildren Travis, Tristian, Connor, Jared, Jessica, Christina, Noah, Christopher, Byron, Jace, Jannie, Canaan, and Ezekiel; her great-grandchildren, Isaiah, Kyla, and Alyssa, her dear friend Annette Carter, and many precious nieces, nephews, and other family and friends.

Lillian was preceded in death by her husband Ned "Pedro", her son Ned, her brothers, James Jones, Melton Jones, Edward Jones, Russell Jones and George Jones Jr, her sisters Emma Jane Hilliard, May Jones, Louise Jordan, and Bessie Feaster, and her parents George and Elizabeth Jones.

She will be missed for her quick wit, ability to tell you how she really felt without making you feel bad, and her warm laugh.

A viewing will be held at Shiloh Baptist Church New Site on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 10:00 AM followed by a funeral service at 11:00 AM. The interment will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens, on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at 10:00 AM.