In the tradition of our church, the Julia Black Cane is held by the oldest female member of the church. The cane is named for the grandmother of Mrs. Ross's son-in-law Tom Black.

Mrs. Ross lives in Matthews and has attended Philadelphia Church for a little longer than a year. She was born in 1915 in Albemarle. She attended Montreat College for two years, then the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond. She worked for a Presbyterian Church in High Point for a short while, then for 25 years for the Presbyterian Church as a missionary in Mexico. While in Mexico, she married her husband who was also a missionary. All their children were born in Mexico, but eventually the family moved to Nashville to work in the missionary headquarters.

Mrs. Ross moved back to North Carolina, her home state, in order to be close to her children.

She said that she is honored to be the holder of the cane.

The church's oldest male member holds the Bain Cane.