Jewel Pearl Mackey-Taylor-Brown, 74, of Corydon, died Sunday, June 19, 2016, at Norton Hospital in Louisville.  She was born September 2, 1941, in West Point, Georgia, to the late Paul William Mackey and Jessie Ruth Perry. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; her grandparents, James and Pearlie Stiggers Bonner and Jesse and Pearl Gunn-Mackey;

Survivors include her daughter, Jessica Alicia Brown of Corydon; her stepmother, Princetta Mackey; her brothers, William Kenneth Mackey of Toms River, New Jersey and Paul Moss of South Carolina; her sisters, Mary Ann Moss-Cooper of Boston, Massachusetts, Pauline A. Drayton-Ingraham of Jacksonville, Florida, Vannie R. Robinson of Alcoa, Tennessee, Deborah T. Bonner of Jacksonville, Priscilla A. Scales of Livonia, Georgia, Sarah L. McGraw of Huntsville, Alabama, Carolyn Mackey-Bailey of West Point, Zelma L. Mackey-Brock of West Point, and Francais C. Mackey-Austin of Atlanta, Georgia; her nephew, Wayne D. Ayers of Corydon and a host of cousins, brother-in-laws, relatives, preachers, teachers, neighbors and many, many friends.

Jewel joined the Love Union Baptist Church in West Point at the tender age of 9 and was baptized by Rev. Ed Ramsey.  Her family moved to Brooklyn, New York and she joined Great Joy Baptist Church with Rev. Nadie Mackey as pastor.  She graduated from Girls High School in Brooklyn and several other schools.  Jewel was a campaigner and activist for justice and peace.  She struggled in churches in Brooklyn, Detroit, and other cities for blacks and minorities to obtain equal rights in jobs, education and public welfare.

Jewel went to Central Evening Commercial School and graduated with a business degree in bookkeeping/accounting.  She worked for the Charles Roy Colin law firm in Brooklyn; the Bedford Health Clinic, the Brooklyn Tuberculosis and Health Association, the Maryland Cup Corporation, the Eagle Cone Corporation, the City of New York Department of Welfare, the Michigan State Employment Office in Detroit, the West Point (Georgia) public schools, the Department of Transportation at the Equitable building in Atlanta, Georgia, she was an inspector at Olin Matheson Chemical in Charlestown, Indiana, was a bookkeeper/biller/teller at the Floyd County Bank in New Albany, worked for the Corydon Country Club, was a counselor/therapist at the Lincoln Hills Development Corporation and Neighborhood Youth Corps in Tell City, Indiana, worked for the Gould’s Power Metal Corporation in Salem, Indiana, the Harrison County Hospital and Indian Creek Nursing and rehabilitation Center both in Corydon, the House of Beauty Cosmetology School in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and was the manager of the Ebony Beauty Shop and Miss Jewel’s House of Beauty both in Jeffersonville.

Jewel was very interested in teaching young people to read, study and influencing them to go to school to learn how to accomplish their goals in life.  She home schooled many young children and her daughter, Jessica.  Jewel was influential in teaching Black History in Indiana for many young students.

Jewel’s main concern was for the young children and older senior citizens.  She went to rehabilitation centers and senior citizens functions often to feed, sing, recite poems and give baths, etc..  Jewel never stopped giving to anyone who required a need.  She always stated that she did not want to be lifted high on a pedestal.  She said “just give God the glory and say it was an anonymous gift.”  Jewel P. Mackey-Brown always wore a smile and loved everyone.  She loved doing the Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute because she got a chance to tell everyone of LOVE.  Jewel said, “You are so beautiful, to me.” 

She joined the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Corydon in 1965 and served there faithfully as pianist, choir director, young people’s choir president, pastor’s aide, building fund president, church secretary, pastor’s steward, trustee, interdenominational choir president, church historian, lay organization president and Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute event organizer.  Jewel P. Brown helped to organize the Community Unity of Corydon.  She worked for years to obtain the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church historical marker located on Maple and High Streets in Corydon and was influential in the structuring of the Gerdon Youth Center in Corydon.

Jewel started singing publicly at the age of 5 at a Baptist convention in Atlanta.  Her dad, Paul Mackey, stood her on a table and she remembered singing “The Lord Will Make a Way Somehow!”  She sang solos everywhere and anywhere.  Jewel sang in  Michigan, Canada, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, Illinois and New Jersey.  She had several singing groups in West Point, Georgia, Brooklyn, New York and Indiana.

Jewel Pearl Mackey-Brown would always take the first steps to leading and was never afraid to help someone in need… no matter what race, color, creed or religion.  She just loved to help people.  She always said it does not cost very much just to smile or give a friendly touch.  Jewel said, “If I don’t make it to Heaven, it won’t be because I did not try to be like Jesus and love everyone!”  Jewel could always feed someone who was a stranger just passing through or anyone who needed food.  Jewel often said, “Jesus fed five thousand with two fish and five loaves of bread; I have lots of meat and vegetables here, and there are just a few of us…so lets’s eat!”

Jewel Pearl Mackey-Taylor-Brown…

     - A servant of the LORD

     - A follower of the LAMB

     - An honorary degree in PRAISING OF THE LORD

     - A child of the KING

     - A master’s degree in the ARMY OF GOD

Let no man write my epitaph!

Lord, I’ve tried to be a good soldier in the army! I’ve really tried. Now I’m going home to be with my Lord.

Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, June 25, 2016, at Corydon Christian Church Disciples of Christ in Corydon.  Father John T. Judie will officiate.  Burial will be at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Corydon.

Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Friday at Beanblossom-Cesar Funeral Home in Corydon and after 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at the church.

The family requests that expressions of sympathy be made to St. Paul’s African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Pallbearers will be Wayne Ayers, Charles and Marvin Beauchamp, Steven Snyder, Ronnie Lofton and Terry Lynn Baker.  Honorary pallbearers will be Ray Alan Brunner, Eddie Wallace, Robert Newbolt, Jr., Reginald Baker, Tyrone Bonner, Leroy Bonner, Francais Christopher Bonner, Charles Lee Ayers, Harold Valentine, Clark Hardsaw, Charles “Butch” Luney, Hugh Boyd, Jimmy Brown, Tim Kingsley, Chris Hall, Bill Davis and Michael Ray Beauchamp.