Late barber Jessie “Jeff” Winston honored with historical marker

By Roscoe Barnes III
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
(Dec 22, 2023 | 2:07 PM)

 

On the back row from left are Alderwoman Valencia Hall and her sister, Ursula Hall; Valerie Smith, friend of Helen Winston; Christopher Owens, grandson of Jessie Winston; and Mayor Dan Gibson. In the front, from left are the daughters of Jessie Winston: Helen Winston, Diane Butler, and Betty Malone. His daughter, Dorothy Winston, the mother of Christopher, is deceased.

NATCHEZ, Miss. –  A new historical marker honoring the legacy of the late Jessie “Jeff” Winston — who was known as the oldest barber in Natchez — will be part of the city’s Self-Guided African American History tour.

The marker is located at Winston’s home at 81 E. Franklin St., a few yards east of the Natchez Stew Pot. It is also the site of the barbershop that he opened behind his home in 1942.

The late Jessie Winston (1910 - 2020) worked as a barber for 89 years. He was 101 when he gave his last haircut. He was considered the oldest barber in Natchez.

Mayor Dan Gibson, Alderwoman Valencia Hall, and members of Winston’s family dedicated the marker Thursday, Dec. 21, in a special ceremony in front of the Winston property. They were joined by friends and others from the community.

“Since the beginning of our administration, we have been working to better tell our whole story and feature those individuals who have made a lasting impact on Natchez,” said Gibson. “Mr. Winston’s long life and amazing career as a barber is an inspiration to all of us.

“How fitting it is that we should celebrate this occasion, and this new marker, on the eve of what would have been his 113th birthday.”

Winston was born on Christmas Day in 1910. He died on April 15, 2020, at the age of 109.

The mayor thanked Winston’s daughter, Helen Winston, for her “persistence in honoring Mr. Jeff’s historic life.” He said Jessie Winston was Natchez’s oldest citizen and “quite possibly one of the longest serving barbers in our nation’s history.”

In a dedication ceremony led by Mayor Dan Gibson on Thursday, Dec. 21, this historical marker was unveiled at the home of the late Jessie "Jeff" Winston at 81 E. Franklin St. Winston's barbershop is located behind the home.

Jessie Winston was 101 when he gave his last haircut, according to Helen Winston. She said he “cut hair for 89 years,” which reportedly made him the longest-working barber in the City of Natchez.

Helen Winston said that she and the Winston family are all happy about the marker and the recognition shown to her father. “I am so overwhelmed,” she said. “ This is a blessing to the family. I am grateful to Alderwoman Valencia Hall and Mayor Dan Gibson for making this possible.”

Helen Winston said she was in Walmart one day when she approached Hall about doing something to honor Jessie Winston. Three days later, she heard back from Hall, who said she had met with the mayor and that a marker would be approved.

Helen Winston said her father will be remembered for his “good works” and for being “good to a lot of people.” When people without money came for haircuts, he told them not to worry about it, she said.

“He was a happy camper,” Helen Winston recalled. “He loved to laugh.”

Following Thursday’s ceremony, the Winston family gave a tour of the barbershop to the mayor and others who wanted to know more about Jessie Winston’s history.

Jessie Winston worked for many years at Armstrong Tire and Rubber Company, from where he retired. Over the years, people would ask him about the secret to his longevity. His reply, said Helen Winston, was a verse in the Bible: “Honor thy father and mother that thy days may be long.”

Hall described Jessie Winston as a “devoted husband and father and spiritual individual.”

“It is most fitting that Mr. Jeff, as he was affectionately known, be memorialized with this historical marker in front of his home and barbershop,” she said on Friday.

Hall noted he “was not just a barber for 89 years of his 109 years of life, but a fixture in the community and friend to many a boy, man, woman, and girl.” He was fortunate in many ways, she explained, adding “he died at the age of 109 with all of his faculties.”

For a life that was long and well-lived, Hall said of Jessie Winston, “Well done, Faithful Servant!”

The self-guided history tour, of which the Winston property is now a part, features nearly 30 sites related to African American history. The project was unveiled in a special ceremony in February 2023. The tour is a joint initiative of the City of Natchez and NAPAC Museum. Gibson has said the project is one of many ways through which the city is telling its complete history.