Civil rights icon Ada Lee to be honored at balloon release

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — With the four-year anniversary of the passing of civil rights icon Ada Lee approaching on next Tuesday, her family and loved ones will be hosting a balloon release that day at the park in Warner Robins dedicated to her name.

Ada Lee’s grandson, Gary Lee, spoke with The Journal on Monday to share some insight about the event and the accomplishments of his grandmother.

“My aunt Vircy Anne — my grandmother’s daughter, her oldest daughter — came up with this [event] here and asked me about it, and I said: ‘Yeah! Why not?’” Lee said. “So, she put it together, and I know we would want to do something for what would have been her 100th birthday — but we wanted to do something a little sooner; so that’s how it actually came about.”

Known to her friends and loved ones as “Mama Lee,” Mrs. Ada M. Jackson Lee was born on March 26, 1924, in the small farming community of Wellston, Georgia, to the late Mr. Lewis D. Jackson and the late Mrs. Annie B. Jackson.

She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta and the Culinary Arts Program at Fort Valley State University, going on to work for the City of Warner Robins as an urban renewal specialist where she later retired.

She married the late Sylvester D. Lee, and the lovers had three children together: Daron Lewis Lee, Vircy Anne Ferguson and Dorethea Rita Scott.

In Warner Robins, Ada made wholesome contributions to her surrounding community and county, including: Becoming the first director of the Warner Robins Day Care Center, forming the first Girl Scout Troop for African-American girls and becoming the first director of the Head Start program in Warner Robins.

Even though she did not have any grandchildren living in her community, she approached the mayor at that time about the city investing in a safe space in the form of a park for the children. She ended up having a park named in her honor.

As life went on for Ada, she accumulated many different accolades and honors, including: the Jefferson Award established by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for Outstanding Volunteer Services, the NAACP Trailblazer Award, Ms. Senior Warner Robins as well as one of the Fifty Most Influential Women in Middle Georgia.

Along with these achievements, Ada served as a board member of the Family Support Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Warner Robins Housing Authority, Houston County Democratic Citizen Advisory, Warner Robins Day Care Center, NAACP, SCLC and served as a member of the Christian Women United Association and the Georgia Council on Human Relations. She was also an honorary member of the Order of Eastern Star, Cinderella Chapter #406.

Ada was a member of the CME church, donning her Sunday “Go to Meeting Hats” for services and enjoying praising the Lord by clapping her hands, nodding her head and saying “Amen.” She served with the Stewardess Board, Missionary Board, Lay Council, We Care-Golden Age, Social Concerns, Hospitality Circle and served as the founder of the Pastor’s Aide Board.

She was preceded in death by her brothers: John Lewis Jackson, Warren Jackson, and Calvin Jackson; sisters: Lillian Canion Reed and Alice Felder; daughter, Johnnie Wiggins and one great granddaughter, Keona LeAda Brown.

Ada was survived by her son, Daron L. Lee (Rosalee); daughters: Vircy Anne Ferguson (Milton) and Dorethea Rita Scott (Willie); and grandchildren: Janester Lee, Coqueese Ferguson Rodriguez (Walfrido), Gary Lee, Milton Ferguson, Daron Dewane Lee, and Durrell Scott; great grandchildren: Brinson Cain, Jasmine Ginyard, Cori Lee, Asha Lee, Javier Rodriguez, Clayton Powell Lee, Jace Ferguson and Jaya Ferguson; three nieces: Diane Tharpe, Dorothy Clay and Annie Abrams; Wendy Roberts, her adopted granddaughter; Mrs. Lucille Little, her god sister; and a host of nieces and nephews.

Below is a speech written by Ada’s grandson, Gary. He told The Journal he wanted to give the speech at her funeral, but the moment had him so emotional he could not bring himself to do it. This is the first time he has shared it with anyone:

“I am Gary Lee, Ada Lee’s oldest grandson.

As I stand before you, ready to share my moments in time with my Grandmother, I want first to acknowledge and thank my mother, Rosa Lee, for her unselfish love for me as it relates to the incomprehensible relationship I developed with my grandmother. Momma, thank you and I love you!

I remember my grandmother always traveling or going somewhere. Sometimes I was with her. Other times, she was with someone else on a bus, car or plane. I can recall, as early as seven, riding in the car with her. More so, her, teaching me how to drive.

We had a Dodge Dart with bucket seats. She would turn onto what was once Talton Road and then slide over for me to steer the car as she would operate the gas and brake pedals… I also recall her persistent and insistent nature. Particularly when she needed to get her license at 90 years of age, I had told her, along with others in my family, that she did not need nor was she going to get her license. We would make sure she got to where she needed to be. She told me, ‘You can’t tell me what to do. I got grown one day, and I’m gone get my license.’

Well, she rolled through her Rolodex of resources to 1. Acquire her birth certificate, which is what I was banking on her not getting 2. Made sure that Sheriff Cullen Talton knew she was coming 3. Found a ride, someone, to take her to complete the task.

When I got home from work, she held up a piece of paper in my face. I asked her what it was, and she boldly told me, “I got my license!” Now this is where the problem and realization came for me and many others who knew my grandmother, Ada Lee. When her mind is made up, it is full steam ahead; get out of her way or get ran over if you don’t aim to help.

Another fond memory of my grandmother was when the police called me and stated she had been in an accident. I jumped into my car and raced down to the corner of Moody and Russell Boulevard. When I got there, she was out of the car, but she made her way to me pointing and stating, ‘It wasn’t my fault, it wasn’t my fault, Gary.’ I told her it didn’t matter, that she shouldn’t be driving. Well, again, if you know my grandmother, you know she quickly went from explaining herself to defending herself.

She told me, ‘I ain’t got time to be waiting on y’all to do what I need to do. I ain’t handicap, and I done told you, I got grown one day!’ As you can see in these moments, she was always determined, persistent and focused on getting the job done.

The impact of my grandmother, Mrs. Ada Lee, will forever live on in Houston County and in Georgia. You can see it in the educational system, city halls, communities, churches, recreation departments, when you sit at counters and when you seek housing opportunities. Much like Delta Airlines, she chose to keep climbing to make our fight in life, to decrease the impact of the disruptions that would surely come.

Will you keep climbing, or will you be like Greyhound and leave the driving to others? ‘What are you going to do with your voice’ is the question she leaves for us today.”

The balloon release event celebrating the life and memory of Ada Lee will take place on Tuesday, May 3, at 6 p.m. at Ada Lee Park, 203 Scott Blvd. in Warner Robins.

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