By Brittany Cohill
mail@floridanewsline.com
On May 3, Mandarin Museum hosted its annual Miss Aggie Day celebration at the historic Mandarin Store & Post Office. Since 2003, Miss Aggie Day has celebrated the legacy of Agnes Grace Jones, the daughter of Walter and Edith Jones. “Miss Aggie,” as she was affectionately known, was a resident of Mandarin from 1898 until her death in 1992 at the age of 94. Her father, Walter, was Mandarin’s U.S. postmaster from 1906 to 1928. From 1928 to 1964, Miss Aggie assumed the role and that of store proprietor. She was an independent, strong-willed, confident woman who possessed a deep sense of community and a charitable heart. Her reputation for helping those around her in time of need was well known.
As part of the celebration, the Miss Aggie Award was presented to four current and former residents of Mandarin whose lives demonstrate the same sense of community and caring attitude. The 2025 honorees were Rosemary McCorkle and Vina Schemer; the late Memphis Wood and Charlie Brown were honored posthumously. This remarkable group co-founded the Mandarin Art Festival in 1968, and played a continued role in its success in the decades following. A juried fine art and craft show held annually by the Mandarin Community Club, it is the longest running festival of its kind in Northeast Florida. Gifted artists themselves, or in McCorkle’s case, an avid supporter and champion of the arts, they actively contributed to Mandarin’s reputation as an “artist colony” and added value to the lives of so many around them. Among many other accomplishments, Schemer pioneered the technique of photo-transfer on clay, producing vivid imagery on small and large-scale pottery pieces.
The day of the Miss Aggie Day celebration was a festive occasion, featuring ice cold RC Cola and Moon Pies, once staples at Miss Aggie’s store. Guests moseyed in and out, stopping awhile on the front porch to catch up with friends and neighbors, a scene reminiscent of days gone by. The event culminated in remarks by McCorkle and Schemer, who recounted their deep ties to and love for Mandarin. The standing-room only crowd was a testament to their impact.
Photo courtesy John Meux
Rosemary McCorkle and Vina Schemer pictured with Mandarin Museum Executive Director Brittany Cohill.
