Ona O'neil Burton

Ona O'neil Burton was born in Monroe, Georgia on February 18, 1931, to Hattie Fowler Grimes and Lorenzo Grimes, who were sharecroppers. O'neil, who loved to be called by her middle name, was the third youngest out of eight children.  Unfortunately, her father, Lorenzo, passed away at a young age when O'neil was just four years old.  For a better life and greater opportunities, Hattie along with six of her children, which included O'neil, moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1943, to be with O'neil's two older siblings.  She was not fond of the name Ona and asked Mama Hattie why she named her that.  Her mom smiled and said that she named her after the wife of her favorite actor, Charlie Chaplin. 

O'neil found a church home with Liberty Hill Baptist Church in 1944, which ironically had the same name as the church she attended as a youth in Monroe, Georgia.  She accepted Christ at an early age.  O’neil was a woman of great faith, who loved her church family.  At Liberty Hill Baptist Church, She was a devoted member of the Matrons, the Gospel Chorus, Circle #2, and the Missionary Society.  She also attended Sunday School and occasionally helped with the Hunger Ministry in distributing clothes to the needy. When her health no longer permitted her to attend church services, she enjoyed watching the services on Zoom. 

O'neil attended the old Central High School.  She was united in holy matrimony on May 7, 1949 to Willis Burton.  From this union two children were born, Patricia and Monica.  Later in life, she was blessed with three grandsons and seven great grandchildren.

O'neil enjoyed family gatherings and being with her grandsons and great-grandchildren, especially on Thanksgiving and at Christmas time. She was called Gran Gran by some of the great-grandchildren and GG by the others. One of her favorite hobbies that she shared with her late husband, Willis, was gardening.  Their vegetable gardens would always be the envy of others.  She was an excellent seamstress, and in her early years, made many original garments.  O’neil and Willis were also avid league bowlers, who won many trophies over the years.  She had a love for cooking, as well as baking, with her specialty desserts being sweet potato pie, peach cobbler, pound cake, and an assortment of Christmas cookies that she often put in decorative boxes and would give away at Christmas time to family and friends.  O'neil enjoyed being a member of the Cleveland Connection Family Reunion Club.  She also enjoyed attending her neighborhood block meetings. 

During her long and productive lifetime, O'neil had demonstrated in countless ways her dedication to the welfare of others and earned the respect and affection of people from all walks of life. 

O'neil leaves to cherish her memory, her two daughters, Patricia Jones and Monica Boyd (Dennis); three grandsons, Jason Jones (Lakiesha), Derrick Boyd, and Jared Jones (Danielle); 7 great grandchildren, Kayla, Jada, Jason Jr., Jasmine, Devan, Jaden, and Cameron; and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. 

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