Obituary - Mary Elizabeth (Vore) Jones
FRANKFORT, IN - Mary Elizabeth (Vore) Jones, 93, died peacefully at
Wesley Manor Retirement Community on January 19, 2015. She lived a long,
rich, fulfilling life. When asked by a grandson for a school genealogy
project about her greatest life achievement, she replied, "Marrying Grandpa
Jones and having five children. And then having nine wonderful
grandchildren." Today, Mary has eleven great-grandchildren to add to her
legacy of devotion to her marriage, family, and faith.
Mary was born March 13, 1921 in Eaton, the daughter of George and Lela
(Duckwall) Vore. Two of her three brothers, Carl and Willard, died in
childhood. She grew up on the family farm with her youngest brother,
Richard. She graduated from Eaton High School in 1938 and attended college
at Ball State, Taylor, and Manchester College where she graduated with a
B.S. in English and Home Economics and received her teaching credential for
secondary education.
Mary and Rev. John Paul Jones were married on June 30, 1942. In tandem with
beginning her career as a teacher, Mary was an active and dedicated
Methodist minister's wife. Mary stopped teaching when she had her first
child in 1945, and returned to the classroom seventeen years later when her
fifth and youngest child started kindergarten. She soon discovered a
preference and talent for teaching younger children. Mary returned to
college to convert her license from secondary to elementary education and
earn a Master's Degree. Mary juggled family, full-time teaching, graduate
classes, and church service and leadership. Eventually, she earned her
Master's Degree from Ball State University.
Mary and John Paul approached life as a team and were sincere followers of
Christ. Together they faithfully served ten different churches in the
Indiana Conference of the United Methodist church including pastorates at
Richland Center, Star City/White Oak, Danville/Cartersburg, Winamac,
Princeton, Auburn, Hartford City and Tipton. They both retired in 1982 and
located in the Muncie area to be near family and John Paul's part-time
pastoral care duties at High Street United Methodist. Mary, a life-long
member of United Methodist Women, chaired or participated in multiple
activities at each pastorate. With a passion for sewing and crafts, Mary's
signature event at High Street was the annual bazaar to support missions.
The Village of Wesley Manor in Frankfort was her last home and St. Matthew's
United Methodist her church.
As busy as Mary and John Paul were with their church activities, they always
found the time for family and travel including many trips to visit their
geographically dispersed grown-up kids, grandkids, and exchange students.
Mary was proud to have visited all 50 states. Mary and John Paul began their
international travels with a mission trip to Haiti in 1973. They later
traveled to the Holy Land, Great Britain, Western and Eastern Europe, Egypt,
Australia, and New Zealand.
Mary was predeceased by her husband John Paul of 52 years, her brothers, and
her parents. She is survived by four sons and a daughter: Max (Dianne)
Jones, Keith (Cindy) Jones, and Ken (Marian) Jones, all of Lafayette; Randy
(Kathy Carey) Jones of Denver, CO; and Marna (Paul Vandenberg) Jones of
Portland, OR. Mary is also survived by nine grandchildren, eleven
great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank the caregivers of Wesley Manor and Guardian
Angel Hospice for their competent and compassionate care of Mary during the
past two years.
Funeral services will be held 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 24, 2015, at
Eaton United Methodist Church, 215 S. Elm St., Eaton, with son Keith Jones
officiating, assisted by Rev. Brian White and Rev. Mike Dominick. Burial
will follow at Union Cemetery, Eaton.