HONORING MR. MAJOR JEWEL McDONALD

On 2026-09-16, Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-2) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING MR. MAJOR JEWEL McDONALD" in the House.

HONORING MR. MAJOR JEWEL McDONALD

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E941] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING MR. MAJOR JEWEL McDONALD ______ HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON of mississippi in the house of representatives Wednesday, September 16, 2026 Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker I rise today to honor Major Jewel McDonald of Louisville, Mississippi, a man whose life stands as a living testimony to faith, family, perseverence, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Mr. McDonald was born on November 1, 1915, in Winston County, Mississippi, to Henry and Georgia McDonald. He came into this world during a time very different from the one we know today. He has lived through Prohibition, the Great Depression, World War II, the Jim Crow era, the civil rights movement, the 1918 Influenza pandemic, COVID-19, and more than a century of change in our Nation. One of thirteen children raised by a single mother, Mr. McDonald learned early that life required hard work, patience, and faith. He remembers a childhood in which the family did not have much and transportation meant little more than a mule and a wagon. Yet from those humble beginnings came a man whose life would stretch across generations and remind us that greatness is often born in places the world overlooks. As a young man, Mr. McDonald left Mississippi for Ohio during the years when many Black families journeyed north in search of work and opportunity. He worked for the Kroger Company for more than three decades before retiring. But Mississippi was always home. After retirement, he returned to Louisville, where his roots, his family, and his memories remained. Mr. McDonald's life has never been measured only by years, but by the people he has loved and the community he has touched. He is a husband, father, grandfather, neighbor, fisherman, and friend. He is known in his community for his kindness, his gentle spirit, and for the fish he caught and shared, including a catch that helped inspire what became an annual church fish fry tradition. His life teaches us that service does not always require a title. Sometimes it looks like feeding people, loving family, and showing up for one's community. In 2025, Mr. McDonald celebrated his 110th birthday with family and friends, becoming a supercentenarian. His age has been validated by longevity researchers, and he is now recognized as the oldest validated living man in the United States. Even now, he remains a symbol of strength and grace, still living in the community that helped shape him. Mr. McDonald has encouraged young people to slow down, reminding them of the Scripture that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. That wisdom, spoken by a man who has seen more than most of us can imagine, carries the weight of history and the warmth of lived experience. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Major Jewel McDonald, a living bridge between Mississippi's past and future and a reminder that faith, family, work, humility, and patience remain pillars of a meaningful life. ____________________