Jean Jones

Jean Elizabeth Jones, 92, of Topeka, passed away, Wednesday, August 4, 2010, at Brewster Place. She was born March 22, 1918, at Ottawa, Kansas. She was the daughter of L.C. and Adeline (Bird) Jones. She graduated from Ottawa High School in 1936. She received a B.S. degree in music from Emporia State University where she was a charter member of the Emporia Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota. She also earned an M.A. degree in Spanish from The University of Kansas. She taught at Dover High School, Washburn Rural High School and Topeka High School. She received a Master Teacher Award from Emporia State University in 1966, was Kansas Teacher of the Year in 1968, and was inducted into the Kansas Teacher Hall of Fame in 1982. She was a scholarship honoree of AAUW in 1983. In 2004 she was inducted into the Washburn Rural High School Hall of Fame.

Miss Jones was an Elder in the 1st Presbyterian Church of Topeka and a life member of Delta Kappa Gamma. She was also a life member of the national, state and local retired teacher associations. She served on the Board of Directors of Friends of the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library and was also a volunteer there.
She is survived by her niece Martha Gage, and husband, Ralph, Lawrence; two nephews, Jay Jones and wife, Carole, Gold Canyon, AZ and Charles Senter and wife Betsy, Albany, TX; and close friend, Sheryl Fulton, Topeka. She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, Mabel Weinheimer, 1993, and Gertrude Senter, 2009, two brothers, Lowell Jones, 1948 and Richard Jones, 1999; her niece, Carolyn Shook, Wichita; and her companion, Dale Hazlett, 2006.

Miss Jones was cremated. The family will greet friends beginning at 12:00 noon Monday, August 9, 2010, followed by a memorial service at 1:00 p.m., Monday, at the Penwell-Gabel Mid Town Chapel. Private inurnment will be in Highland Cemetery in Ottawa. Memorial contributions may be made to Heart of America Hospice of Topeka or the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library. To leave a message for the family online, please visit www.PenwellGabelTopeka.com.