[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 176 (Tuesday, November 15, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING BESSIE ORSBY-JONES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2022

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
tenacious and self-motivated leader, Mrs. Bessie Orsby-Jones. Bessie 
has been a champion of breast cancer awareness, advocacy, and service 
in her community.
  Bessie Orsby-Jones is the Founder of Divine Branches, a support group 
she started after going into the remission stage of cancer. Mrs. Jones 
was in great need of a support group, but there was not one available 
in her community. She had a conversation about her concerns with Kenita 
Faye Miller, a cancer survivor and classmate of 12 years from St. 
Louis. Later, Mrs. Jones was given an invitation to join The Breakfast 
Club Cancer Support group in St. Louis through virtual access. She soon 
felt strongly about forming a support group of her own. She began a 
search for survivors in and around Clarksdale. She soon started the 
support group with Catherine Holmes, Mary Caradine, Vanessa Lampkin and 
Joyce Clark.
  Mrs. Jones said she prayed about the name of the support group and 
God gave her the word Divine. After she expressed it to the group, one 
of the members shouted, ``Branches.'' Thus, the name ``The Divine 
Branches'' was agreed upon. Divine means directed by God, and branches 
was based on John 15:5 ``I am the Vine you are the Branches.'' She knew 
that if the branches stayed connected to the Vine they would go forth 
and be productive.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. 
Bessie Orsby-Jones for her dedication to breast cancer awareness, 
advocacy, service and support to survivors, and remembering those who 
lives were lost during their battle against breast cancer.

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