Jean Jones Obituary

January 8, 1924 – March 3, 2020

Jean Murray Jones was born in Lawrence, Kansas, the second of four children of Joseph W. Murray and Agnes Anderson Murray. She graduated from Liberty Memorial High School in 1941, attended the University of Kansas, and later graduated from the University of Missouri in 1961.

Jean moved to New York City in the late 1940s, where she worked at various administrative positions. In 1957 the American Korean Foundation sent her to work in their offices in Seoul, Korea. While there she met and married Capt. Ogden S. Jones, Jr., also from Lawrence, Kansas, who was a career Army officer stationed in Korea. They married in 1958 and for the next twenty years as an Army wife she lived in many places in the U.S., and also in Madrid, Spain. After her husband's retirement they settled in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They moved to Oakland, California in 2009 to be closer to their two sons.

"Jeanie Bug" was a free spirit with varied interests. She was a talented piano player who often played for family and friends, and an avid concert goer. She was also an excellent illustrator and enjoyed going with her friends to art fairs, filling her house with pieces she had bought. She liked to make up stories with her grandchildren and write little picture books with them. She excelled at making crafts as well and gave away hundreds of beautiful handmade Christmas ornaments over the years. She also donated her time after retirement in Kalamazoo to local music organizations, the League of Women Voters, Meals on Wheels, and many other charitable organizations.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her three siblings, Ann Elliot of Ithaca, NY; James W. Murray of Lawrence; and Andrew G. Murray of Midlothian, VA. She is survived by her son Ogden and family of Castro Valley, CA; son Michael of San Jose, CA; a step-daughter, Deborah Cotton of Cleveland Heights, OH; four grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Jean was truly a sweet and pure spirit. Her smile, her cheerful, upbeat nature, her sharp intelligence, and her zany sense of humor were legendary. We cherish the many wonderful memories she leaves behind. Her ashes will be placed next to her husband's at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery. Donations in her name can be made to League of Women Voters or the charity of your choice.