laura beatrice donald holloway
1919-1997
Life Story
Early Life in Newton County, Mississippi
Laura Beatrice Donald, known throughout her life simply as Beatrice, was born on October 28, 1919, in Newton County, Mississippi. She was the daughter of John Donald and Addie Ware Donald, and the granddaughter of Richard David Ware and Laura Cooper Ware.
Beatrice grew up in the rural Lawrence community of Beat 4, along the Hillsboro–St. Johns Road, where farming shaped both the economy and daily life. She was raised in a close-knit household with her siblings:
Her childhood unfolded during the height of the Jim Crow era, when educational opportunities for African American children were often limited by segregated schools and unequal public funding. Nevertheless, Beatrice’s parents placed a strong emphasis on education, and she completed both her elementary and secondary schooling in Newton County. By graduating from high school after completing the twelfth grade, she achieved a level of education that remained uncommon for many African Americans in rural Mississippi during the early twentieth century.
Marriage and a New Beginning on the Gulf Coast
As a young woman, Beatrice joined the migration of many Mississippians seeking new opportunities along the growing Gulf Coast.
She settled in Gulfport, Harrison County, where she married John L. Holloway, a veteran of the United States Army who served during World War II as a Technician Fifth Grade (Tec 5).
Together they established their home in North Gulfport and began raising a family during a period of rapid change following the Second World War.
Their children included:
- Gladys Holloway Williams
- John Holloway, Jr. (“Lish”)
- Samuel Holloway
- Bobby Lewis Holloway
- one additional child who preceded or survived her according to family records.*
Building a Home and a Life
Like many African American women of her generation, Beatrice balanced employment with the responsibilities of caring for her family.
During the 1950s, she worked as a private household maid, an occupation that provided income while reflecting the limited employment opportunities available to Black women in the segregated South.
Despite these challenges, Beatrice and John steadily built financial security.
In December 1959, they purchased Lots 26 and 27, Block 265, North Gulfport, from D. C. Alfred for $300. For African American families during the Civil Rights era, homeownership represented far more than acquiring land—it symbolized stability, independence, and an investment in future generations.
By 1960, the Holloways had established their residence on John Q. Adams Street, where they continued building their family and contributing to their community.
Faith and Community Service
Faith occupied a central place throughout Beatrice’s life.
She became a devoted member of Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church in Gulfport, where she faithfully served as a member of both the Senior Choir and the Home Mission Sisters.
These ministries reflected two important dimensions of her Christian life: worship through music and service to others. Like many African American churches during the twentieth century, Greater Mount Olive functioned as far more than a place of worship. It served as a center for fellowship, mutual aid, civic engagement, and spiritual encouragement, and Beatrice became an active participant in that tradition.
Her commitment extended beyond her local church.
In 1987, she joined relatives from across the country for the Donald Family Reunion held in Jackson, Mississippi. During the reunion, Beatrice participated in the family program, sharing remarks and fellowship while helping preserve the family’s history for younger generations. Her participation reflected the strong ties she maintained to both her immediate family and her Newton County roots despite decades of living on the Gulf Coast.
Final Years
Beatrice remained active in her church, family, and community throughout her later years.
She passed away in Gulfport, Mississippi, on February 4, 1997, at the age of seventy-seven.
Funeral services were held on February 10, 1997, at Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church, with arrangements entrusted to Richmond Funeral Home.
In recognition of her husband’s military service, Beatrice was laid to rest beside him in Biloxi National Cemetery, Section A, Site 389, where their graves permanently honor both their family life and John’s service to the nation.
Legacy
Laura Beatrice Donald Holloway belonged to a generation that bridged two worlds.
Born into the segregated, agricultural communities of rural Mississippi, she witnessed enormous changes throughout the twentieth century, including the Great Migration, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, and the transformation of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
She built a life rooted in faith, family, education, and perseverance. Through her work, church service, homeownership, and devotion to her children and grandchildren, she exemplified the quiet determination that characterized so many African American women of her generation.
Today, her legacy endures through the family she nurtured, the church she faithfully served, and the enduring example of a life lived with dignity, commitment, and steadfast faith.
Resting Place
Biloxi National Cemetery
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1920 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, John Donald household; Laura Beatrice Donald listed as an infant daughter.
- 1930 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, John Donald household.
- 1940 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, John Donald household; Beatrice Donald listed as having completed twelve years of education.
- Leon F. Litwack, Trouble in Mind: Black Southerners in the Age of Jim Crow (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998), 237–272.
- Marriage records of Laura Beatrice Donald and John L. Holloway, Harrison County, Mississippi.
- John L. Holloway, World War II Army Enlistment Record and military service records documenting his service as Technician Fifth Grade (Tec 5).
- Harrison County, Mississippi, Warranty Deed, D. C. Alfred to John L. and Laura Beatrice Holloway, conveying Lots 26 and 27, Block 265, North Gulfport, December 1959.
- 1960 Gulfport City Directory (or other residence record), listing John and Beatrice Holloway at John Q. Adams Street.
- Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church records and funeral program documenting Beatrice Holloway’s membership in the Senior Choir and Home Mission Sisters.
- Donald Family Reunion Program, Jackson, Mississippi, July 1987, documenting Beatrice Holloway’s participation.
- Mississippi Death Certificate, Laura Beatrice Holloway, February 4, 1997. Funeral program for Laura Beatrice Holloway, Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church, Gulfport, Mississippi, February 10, 1997.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Biloxi National Cemetery Interment Records, Section A, Site 389, John L. Holloway and Laura Beatrice Holloway.
- Tera W. Hunter, To ‘Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women’s Lives and Labors after the Civil War (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1997), 189–210.
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