Lavinia Holmes

Lavinia A. Holmes was born on September 10, 1951 in Chicago, IL to Mr. Willie Pete Jones and Hattie Mae Williams. She was from a family of 14 children, the 8th child and 6th daughter. She attended elementary school in Chicago Public School system and high school at both Lucy Flowers and Farragut High School in Chicago. She was an accelerated, gifted and talented student. Lavinia had her major day of fame when she was a contestant on the National T.V. Game show called the Captain Kangaroo and "Bozo the Clown Show", because she was one of many middle school students with the highest IQ level, she was selected as a contestant. While on the Bozo Show Lavinia was the primary winner, she won numerous prizes and gifts, and shared all her winnings with her family and siblings.
Lavinia relocated to Milwaukee, WI in 1979, completed her studies in higher education and obtained her Associate Degree in Business and Medical Billing Administration from Stratton College in Milwaukee in 1984. She later became a certified Tax accountant and specialized in Tax Preparation for H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt. She was a Tax Instructor and Tax Preparer for over 35 years. She was well-known as the "Tax Lady". In the early nineties she became an associate partner at Jackson Hewitt Tax Services. Lavinia later relocated to Madison, WI from Milwaukee in 2005 to work as a regional manager at Jackson Hewitt Tax Service. Lavinia was the first to start selling corn at the South Madison's, Juneteenth Day Celebration, "The Corny Cob".
Lavinia enjoyed life to its fullest. She enjoyed gardening, both for eating and landscaping. Lavinia had a beautiful soul for socializing and entertaining to make others besides "Vada" feel secure and happy. She had a fun-filled love for fishing, prolific reader, partying for almost any occasion, and spending time at the casinos with family and friends. Lavinia fought a good fight of faith as she struggled with her cancer ordeal. During her lingering ordeal of cancer distress, é�she would always say with her thumbs up "We in it to win it, till the end." Preceding her in death were her parents; brother, Joe Willie Jones and a sister, Frankie Jean Jones. Always the life of the party Lavinia leaves to cherish her fond and delighted memories 9 sisters, 2 brothers and an adopted brother: Florida Lee (Dallas, TX), Lula B. Jones (Madison, WI), Evangelist Dorothy Glenn (Phoenix, IL), Doris Jones (Phoenix, IL), Ary Lee Jones and his wife Mildred Jones (Knoxville, TN) , Bernice Bufford (Sun Prairie, WI), Pauline Zaimah (Canoga Park, CA), Minnie A. Jones (Monona, WI), Sylvia Jones (Middleton, WI), Minister Vontennie Jones-Savadogo (Madison, WI), George Jones, Jr. (Riverside, IL), Michael Jones (Milwaukee, WI). She also leaves to cherish her memories many nephews, nieces and other relatives including many spiritual children, along with a host of friends, fellows, and colleagues.