cleveland donald, sr.
1925-1972
Life Story
Birth & Parentage
Cleveland Donald, Sr. was born on March 23, 1925, in Newton County, Mississippi, to John Donald (1891–?) and Addie B. Ware Donald (1898–1941).
Note: His obituary reports a birth date of March 24, 1924; however, family and military records support the 1925 birth year.
Early Life & Occupation
Cleveland worked as a farmer in his early adult life, reflecting the agricultural base of many Newton County families during this period.
Military Service
A World War II veteran, Cleveland enlisted in the United States Air Force on June 3, 1943, and was honorably discharged on February 5, 1946.
Marriage & Family
On June 20, 1944, Cleveland married Rosie Mae Flowers (1927–2012). After 1950, the family migrated to Jackson, Mississippi, part of a broader postwar movement of African American families seeking expanded opportunity.
Church & Civic Life
Cleveland joined Saint John Missionary Baptist Church at an early age, where he served as Superintendent of the Sunday School, church clerk, and president of the choir.
After relocating to Jackson, he became a member of Cade Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. He was active in the NAACP, helped organize the Jackson American Veterans Committee, served as a Sunday School teacher, and remained a committed choir member.
Death & Burial
Cleveland Donald, Sr. passed away on September 25, 1972, at 11:30 a.m., at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. Funeral services were held on September 30, 1972, at Saint John Missionary Baptist Church near Newton, with interment in the church cemetery.
Survivors
At the time of his death, Cleveland Donald, Sr. was survived by:
- His wife: Rosa Mae Donald
- Five sons:
- Cleveland Donald, Jr., Professor, University of Texas
- John A. Donald, Baltimore, Maryland
- James Edward Donald, 1st Lieutenant, Fort Benning, Georgia
- Larry Donald, student, University of Mississippi
- Howard Earl Donald, Airman, Columbus Air Force Base
- Five grandchildren
- Two brothers:
- Richard W. Donald, Newton, Mississippi
- (another brother listed in the obituary, also of Newton)
- Other relatives and friends
Legacy
Cleveland Donald, Sr.’s legacy is carried forward prominently through his son Cleveland Donald, Jr., who became nationally recognized as the third African American student admitted to the University of Mississippi and the second to graduate—a milestone in Mississippi’s integration history.
Historical Significance
Through military service, church leadership, civic activism, and the achievements of his children, Cleveland Donald, Sr. represents a bridge between Newton County’s rural foundations and Mississippi’s mid-20th-century civil rights and educational transformation.
Resting Place
Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1950 Federal Census
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
- U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010
- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
- U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
- U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
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