Our History

JACK AND JILL of America, Inc.

The St. Louis, Missouri Chapter

The St. Louis, Missouri Chapter of Jack and Jill was started as a Mothers’ Club and organized by Hortense Brooks on February 3, 1947. In addition to Hortense Brooks, the membership included:

  • Joy Blanche
  • Marie Burrows
  • Vivian DeShields
  • Alice Edwards
  • Sue Lucas
  • Carolyn McClellan
  • Melba Parker
  • Antoinette Robinson Elizabeth Williamson

The club was introduced into the national Jack & Jill body at the organization’s national meeting in Columbus, Ohio on June 20, 1947. The first President of the St. Louis Chapter was Carolyn McClellan. Other women who have served in this capacity, in order of service, are:

  • Hortense Brooks
  • Elizabeth Williamson
  • Eloys Williams
  • Margaret Simms
  • Marie Burrows
  • Helen Harris
  • Maxine Freeman
  • Lucille Campbell
  • Maxine Stark
  • Florence Billups
  • Mischa Love
  • Johnetta Haley
  • Kermit Hill
  • Anne Thames
  • Anita Bond
  • Ruth Burns
  • Marion Evans
  • Bernice Bates
  • Dorothy Quigless
  • Yetta Kilgore
  • Mary Montgomery
  • Mildred Shelton
  • Sandra Reid
  • Ann Blackmon
  • Joyce Balls
  • Dianne Powell
  • Wanda Reese
  • Victoria Buck
  • Jocelyn Woodson-Reed
  • Paula Endsley
  • Sandra Townsend
  • Vanessa Ragsdale
  • Sharon Harvey Davis
  • Michelle Sanders
  • Tara Buckner
  • Tamila Taylor
  • Creshuna Cade
  • Angela M. Rhone
March
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In March 1975 the St. Louis, Missouri Chapter moved from the Central Region to the Mid-Western Region. Our Chapter has experienced remarkable growth and made outstanding contributions on a local, regional, and national level.

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In 2015, the Metropolitan St. Louis Chapter of the Central Region merged with the St. Louis Chapter.

 

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In 2025, eight new Mothers were inducted into our chapter.

The St. Louis Chapter is proud to be the home of past Mid-Western Regional Director, Sandra Townsend.

Our chapter received the following awards and recognitions for the 2016-2025 program years:

  • MWR TLC Time Capsule – 2nd Place (2025)
  • MWR Community Impact – 3rd Place (2025)
  • MWR Total Fundraising – 3rd Place (2025)
  • MWR Teen Skit Large Division – 3rd Place (2025)
  • MWR Teen Oratorical Competition – Morgan Cade – 3rd Place (2025)
  • 5-Star Chapter Excellence (2024)
  • MWR TLC Time Capsule – 3rd Place (2024)
  • MWR TLC Community Impact Award (2024)
  • MWR Teen Skit Large Chapter – 2nd Place (2024)
  • MWR Teen Oratorical Competition – Morgan Cade – 2nd Place (2024)
  • MWR Teen Fundraising – 2nd Place (2024)
  • MWR TLC Time Capsule – 3rd Place (2024)
  • MWR TLC Community Impact Award (2024)
  • Sisterhood Blue Sapphire Award – 2nd Place (2024)
  • Eyes on the Prize Award (2024)
  • Sisterhood Blue Sapphire Award – 2nd Place (2024)
  • MWR Teen Skit Large Chapter – 1st Place (2023, 2022)
  • MWR Teen Apparel/Style Teen Choice – 1st Place (2023)
  • MWR Teen Fundraising – 3rd Place (2023,2021)
  • National Legislative Award – 1st Place (2020)
  • MWR Community Service Hours Recognition – 1st Place (2020)
  • MWR Superior Program Handbook (2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016)
  • MWR March of Dimes Fundraising – 2nd Place (2018)
  • MWR Best of the Best Program Award – UniverSoul Circus Civic Activity – 1st Place (2018)
  • JJOA & MWR Grant Awards – Little Bit Foundation Health & Wellness Grant (‘25), Little Bit Foundation Health & Wellness Grant (‘24), Loyola Academy STEM Grant (‘23), Miriam Middle School JJOA College Preparatory Grant (‘22), Better Family Life Health & Wellness Grant (‘21), STEM Grant (‘21), Miriam Middle School JJOA College Preparatory Grant (‘21), MWR Grant Awards – Better Family Life JJOA Independent Grant Award (‘16)
  • Outstanding Chapter Leader – Leighanne Terry (’25), Tamara Estrill-Lett (’24), Tamara Estrill-Lett (’23), Donya Taylor (’22), Angela Rhone (’21), Leighanne Terry (’20), Creshuna Cade (‘19), Seqwana Pryor (‘18), Angela M. Rhone (‘17)
  • Outstanding Mother Member – Dana Jones (’25), Brooke Langhorne (’24), Keia Mays (’23), Adena Varner (’22), Carmen Francis (’21), Linda Baker Roby (’20), Seqwana Pryor (’19), Shanti Parikh (‘18), Lisa Blue (‘17)
  • Outstanding Lead Teen Advisor – Bettina Drake (’25), Shanti Parikh (’24), Shanti Parikh (’23), Carmen Francis (’22), Leighanne Terry (’21)
  • Outstanding Dad – Ed Johnson, Jr. (’25), Brandon Brooks (’24), Eric Rhone (’23), Derek Mays (’22), Ed Johnson, Jr. (’20)
  • Outstanding Chapter Teen – Eldridge Rhone (’25), Liliana Boyd (’24), Kendall Cade (’23), Nalini Baily (’22), Lauryn Donovan (’21), George Roby (’20)
  • President’s Award Member of the Year – Dominique Beeks (’25)
  • President’s Award New Member of the Year – Lisa Anderson Smith (’25)
  • President’s Award Silent Shero – Nichol Silimon (’25)

Conferences Hosted:

  • Children’s Clusters – 2003, 2000
  • IL/TS Area Workday – 2025
  • Mothers Regional – 1983
  • Mothers Regional & Work Day – 1963
  • Mothers Area Workday Clusters – 2017, 2005, 1995
  • National Convention – 1958
  • Presidents’ Summit – 2023, 2004
  • Teen Regional Conferences – 2022, 2012, 1998, 1974, 1963, 1954
  • Teen President Workdays – 1979, 1970

JJOA National Offices & Committee Representatives:

  • Antoinette Robinson, Treasurer – 1952-1954
  • Margaret Simms, Treasurer – 1958-1960
  • Margaret Simms, President – 1961-1964
  • Kermit Hill, Treasurer – 1968-1972
  • Bernice Bates, Associates Chair – 1976-1980
  • Dorothy Quigless, Recording Secretary – 1978-1982
  • Vanessa Ragsdale, Nominating Committee Representative – 2007-2008
  • Seqwana Pryor, Policies and Procedures Committee (Chair) – 2014-2018
  • Seqwana Pryor, National Governance Task Force – 2020-2021
  • Seqwana Pryor, Governance Compliance – 2020-2022
  • Sophia Ford-Glanton, National Task Force Committee – 2020-2021

Midwestern Offices & Committee Representatives:

  • Sandra Townsend, Editor –  2003-2005
  • Fred Shelton, Teen President – 2004-2005
  • Sandra Townsend, Secretary/Treasurer – 2005-2007
  • Vanessa Ragsdale, Nominating Committee (Chair) – 2005-2007
  • Sheila Young, Editor – 2007-2008
  • Vanessa Ragsdale, Associates Committee (Chair) – 2007-2008
  • Sandra Townsend, Regional Director – 2007-2009
  • Sharon Harvey-Davis, Grievance Committee (Chair) – 2009-2011
  • Sharon Harvey-Davis, Policies and Procedures Committee (Chair) – 2009-2011
  • Michelle Sanders, Nominating Committee – 2011-2013
  • Remi Roberts, Teen Nominating Committee – 2012-2014
  • Veronica Norwood, Teen Nominating Committee, 2nd Alternate – 2013-2014
  • Seqwana Pryor, Policies and Procedures Committee (Chair) – 2014-2016
  • L’Ila Holliday, Teen Nominating Committee – 2014-2018
  • Clarke Sheade, Teen Recommendations Committee (Co-Chair) – 2015-2016
  • Creshuna Cade, Nominating Committee; Teen Competitions Committee (Chair) – 2016-2017
  • Jacob Blair, Teen Foundation Committee (Chair) – 2016-2019
  • Seqwana Pryor, 2017 Illinois Area Workday Cluster (Chair) – 2017-2018
  • Tamila Taylor, Strategic Conference Planning Committee; Tri-State COE Lead (Chair) – 2017-2018
  • Julian Bennett, Teen Communications Committee (Chair) – 2017-2019
  • Joshua Pryor, Teen Nominating Committee – 2018-2019
  • Seqwana Pryor, Teen Committee (Chair) – 2018-2019
  • Angela M. Rhone, Program Committee – 2018-2020
  • Nicole Scott, Budget & Finance Committee – 2018-2020
  • Asher Clarke, Teen Nominating Committee – 2018-2019
  • Joshua Pryor, Teen Recording Secretary – 2019-2020
  • Seqwana Pryor, Community Impact Committee – 2019-2020
  • Tamila Taylor, Time & Place Committee – 2019-2020
  • Sophia Ford-Glanton, Emergency Response Chair – 2020-2021
  • Jillian Mays, Teen Programming Committee – 2020-2021
  • Seqwana Pryor, Governance Compliance – 2020-2022
  • Travis Pryor, Teen Nominating Committee Chair – 2021-2022
  • Angela M. Rhone, Programming Committee – 2021-2022
  • Sophia Ford-Glanton, Emergency Response Chair – 2021-2022
  • Kendall Cade, Teen Communications Committee Chair – 2021-2022
  • Creshuna Cade, Plenary Committee Chair – 2021-2022
  • Creshuna Cade, Registration Chair – 2021-2023
  • Cheryl Benson, Logistics Coordinator – 2021-2023
  • Creshuna Cade, Regional Competitions Chair – 2022-2023
  • Kendall Cade, Regional Teen Secretary – 2022-2023
  • Morgan Cade, Teen Nominating Committee – 2024-2025
  • Melba Akinwande, Chaplains Committee – 2024-2025
  • Creshuna Cade, Growth of the Committee – 2024-2025
  • Angela M. Rhone, Sisterly Relations Mom Squad – 2024-2025
  • Creshuna Cade, Conference and Event Planning & Execution Committee Co-Chair – 2025-2026
  • Morgan Cade, Teen Committee Chair – 2025-2026
  • Ashley Ellis,  Awards Committee – 2025-2026
  • Nylah Johnson, Teen Nominating Committee – 2025-2026
  • Angela Rhone, IL/TS Area Workday Planning Co-Chair – 2025-2026
  • b.Marcell Williams, Sisterly Relations Committee – 2025-2026