Obituary for Jesse W. Shelton
Jesse was born June 4, 1934, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He was the seventh of ten children, born to the union of Rev. Alex Wyatt Shelton and Alberta Reede-Shelton.
In 1944, the Shelton family moved from Bessemer, Alabama to Akron, Ohio.
Jesse attended David Hill Elementary school and graduated from East High School in 1954. He attended Kent State University and went on to graduate from Akron Barber College. In 1956, Jesse was drafted by the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Shafter, Honolulu, HI. On August 4, 1962, he married Jacquelyn Curry in Akron, Ohio. Together, the couple would have two children; Kelley Denise and Kirk Devin. Jesse was a loyal and dedicated employee at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company for 40 years. He also owned and operated The Place Lounge. Jesse, an avid churchman, was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, where he eventually would become a long-standing trustee board member. He was a member of M.W. Prince Hall Grand Hall Lodge of Ohio, Mount Calvary Lodge #76, Bezaleel Consistory #15 and Al Kaf Temple #109.
Jesse is survived by his son, Kirk D. Shelton; three grandchildren, Sydney, Asia and Sarai. He was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. Alex Wyatt Shelton and Alberta Reede-Shelton; wife, Jacquelyn; daughter, Kelley; siblings, Alex Wyatt, Jr., Robert Pollard, Lucy Pearl, Lula Bell, and Leroy.