CHESTERVILLE — Mary Evelyn Jones, 92, of Chesterville died Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, at Autumn Health Care in Mount Vernon following a long illness.
Mary was born in Morrow County on March 29, 1917, to Franklin Delano and Nina Enola (Rinehart) Chipps and graduated from Chesterville High School in 1933. She continued her education at Ashland University in Ashland in 1958 and graduated with a degree in education. She married John E. Jones in February of 1934 and they enjoyed 47 years together before his death on Nov. 23, 1981. Mary taught grade school at Prospect and Woodland Schools in Mansfield, retiring in 1981. Following retirement she served as a volunteer at the Marengo grade school in Morrow County.
Mary was a member of the Harmony Chapel United Methodist Church near Chesterville and had served the church in various capacities through the years. Mary had attended the camp meetings at Camp Sychar in Mount Vernon most of her lifetime, and had help build churches in Mexico. She was a member of the Morrow County and Richland County Retired Teachers Associations, a member of Morrow County Blue Twig, and volunteered at the Morrow Manor in Chesterville.
Mary and John loved to travel and had visited every state capital, many countries in Europe, and visited Japan and Thailand. In the 1960s she and John joined the Peace Corps and served in Chile. Mary had visited Israel twice and been to Egypt, India, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
Mary will be dearly missed by her daughters and son-in-law, Sue and Morris James of Fredericktown and Joanna Gregory of Chesterville; her daughter-in-law, Mickey Jones (Roger Miller) of Matthews, N.C.; her grandchildren, Jon (Deb) Squires, Kelly (Joe) Mercado, Dan (Laura) Gregory, Chuck Gregory, Renee (Eddie) Clark, Loni Martin, David Jones, Todd (Shannon) Jones, Scott (Lucy) Jones, Vicky (Jerry) Lambert, Carol (Don) Ruggles and Terri (Les) Futrell; 30 great-grandchildren; and nine great-great-grandchildren.
Besides her parents and husband, Mary was preceded in death by her son, John D. Jones; her sister, Mabel Chipps; and two brothers, John Chipps and Art Chipps.
Friends may call Sunday from 1 to 3 and 5 to 7 p.m. at the Snyder Funeral Home in Fredericktown, where funeral services will be Monday at 11 a.m. with the Revs. Jeannie Winters and Joe Sopher officiating. Burial will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery in Chesterville. Following the services, a fellowship gathering will be held at the Harmony Chapel United Methodist Church.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Harmony Chapel United Methodist Church, in care of Margie Coleman, 5545 Township Road 173, Cardington, OH 43315; or Odyssey Hospice and Health Care, 540 Officecenter Place, Suite 100, Gahanna, OH 43230. To send an online condolence to the family, visit www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.
The Snyder Funeral Home in Fredericktown is honored to serve the family of Mary Evelyn Jones.
