The Iron Lady, Josephine Mapp

There are people in your life whose stories you don’t fully know until later. For me, one of those people is my maternal grandmother, Josephine Mapp.

She passed away when I was just 18 years old—too young to understand her life’s depth, too young to ask the questions I now wish I had. Back then, all I knew was that she was tough. She didn’t mince words, and when she spoke, she meant it. It wasn’t until I began researching her life that I learned to move beyond fear and into deep admiration for her strength and love.

Who Was She?

Josephine Mapp was born in 1904 in Accomack County, Virginia—the Eastern Shore—to John D. and Maggie Susan Mapp. She was one of 12 siblings. By age 14, she had lost both parents. Many of her siblings migrated to Philadelphia in the early 1920s, and Josephine followed them.

It was there that she met and married my grandfather, William Joseph Jackson, Sr. (also known as Johnny Irons), on January 24, 1923. They had seven children together. Heartbreak marked her journey—losing infant twins in 1931, her oldest son in 1965, her daughter in 1970, and her youngest son in 1965. She endured the deaths of four siblings between 1955 and 1966. She divorced in 1950, raised her family, and lived the rest of her life with arthritis that eventually confined her to a wheelchair.

Her life was not easy. And yet—she endured.

An Overcomer

Despite her challenges, my grandmother made her mark.

I remember her Philadelphia home, a large Victorian with a beauty shop in the back. She and her oldest daughter, Betty, trained in beauty school and later opened their own shop—a symbol of determination and entrepreneurship. She was active in her church, honored as Mother of the Year, and she carried a love for her family that showed in every summer trip back to Accomack County.

It wasn’t until later in my own life—when challenges came knocking—that I truly began to appreciate her example. When I faced moments of grief or uncertainty, I found myself asking:

💭 What would Grandma do?

And the answer always came back clear and steady: Persevere.

Although I was too young to fully understand her struggles, the written records and family memories testify to her legacy. To me, and to many others, she will always be the Iron Lady—Josephine Mapp.

A Question for You

Do you have someone whose strength inspires you through life’s challenges? Someone whose story you cling to when times are hard?

Share their name—or even their story—in the comments. Let’s lift each other up by remembering the people who taught us resilience.