Funeral for Milt Hinton's Widow set for Friday, May 9

Mona Clayton Hinton (1919-2008)

Edmonia - Mona - Clayton Hinton, the widow of noted jazz musician and documentarian Milt Hinton (1910-2000), died on May 3, 2008, at North Shore Hospital after a long illness. She was living at the Hinton family residence on Milt Hinton Place in the Queens section of New York City.

The Hintons first met at Milt's grandmother's funeral in 1939 and were inseparable for the next 61 years. Mona traveled extensively with Milt throughout his career. She was the only spouse on the road with the Cab Calloway Orchestra in the 1940s, where, according to Milt, she was extremely helpful in finding rooms and meals for band members especially when the band worked in small towns during the Jim Crow era. During the '50s and '60s when Milt was working day and night in the New York studios, Mona kept the books and made often complicated transportation arrangements. And during the last two decades of his life, Milt and Mona got to travel to jazz festivals and clinics around the world - first class.

In 1958, at her husband's request, Mona took the celebrated home movie footage (the only movie in existence) of the Esquire Magazine photo shoot on a Harlem brownstone stoop that was memorialized in Jean Bach's film, A Great Day in Harlem.

Mrs. Hinton was born in Centralia, IL, in 1919. She was the sixth of eight children; and at the time of her birth, her family, like many others who were part of the Great Migration, was moving from Mississippi to Ohio. After completing high school in Sandusky, OH, she moved to Chicago and attended Poro College, a cosmetology school run by early African American entrepreneur, Madam Annie Malone. Although Mrs. Hinton graduated, she realized her true talents were in bookkeeping, not hair dressing, and she remained in Chicago as an assistant to Madam Malone.

Mrs. Hinton returned to school in the 70s earning bachelor and masters degrees at Queens College of the City University of New York. She taught at several Queens elementary schools, but gave up full-time work to accompany her husband in his travels

The Hintons were active in many community organizations including the St. Albans Congregational Church and both received numerous awards and honors.

Mrs. Hinton is survived by her daughter, Charlotte Hinton-Morgan; a granddaughter Inez Mona Morgan; a great grandson Kamyron William Morgan, all of Atlanta; her sister Mary Louise Bellamy of Sandusky, numerous nieces and nephews, and countless friends around the world.

The funeral service for Mrs. Hinton will be held Friday, May 9, at 10 am at the St. Albans Congregational Church, 172-17 Linden Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens (www.stalbanscc.org). The viewing is from 9 - 10 am.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be sent to The Jazz Foundation of America or the American Cancer Society.