Geraldine "Jerry" V. Jones-Ward

Geraldine McCord was born February 5, 1926, in Oklahoma. There is debate within the family if this took place in Oklahoma City, as was added to her birth certificate years later, or at the family property in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. Geraldine was the second of three children of Jesse and Luetta McCord.

The realities of pre-Civil Rights Oklahoma were clear to Geraldine at an early age. She related the following last year: As a child, she, her older brother George (McCord), and her baby sister NormaJean (McCord-Gary) were riding a bus in OKC. They got on the empty and sat down in the front seats. The driver demanded they move to the rear of the bus, as was the custom and law at that time. George refused, and aunt Geri backed her brother’s albeit dangerous play. “There wasn’t anybody on the bus, it was empty,” she said. The driver backed down, and allowed the three “rebels” to ride the bus to their destination — in the front seats. Aunt Geri would say she later received a scolding from her parents, as such defiance could lead to jail, or worse, a lynching.

Then during the Great Depression, the family moved to NYC, as Jesse McCord felt that offered his children the best opportunity for a quality education, and a better life. Aunt Geri would graduate from Central Commercial High School in Manhattan. She would graduate in the 1940s.

Following high school, Geraldine married Nat Jones. He was a musician and she had a desire to study nursing. Their union produced one child, Nat Jones, Jr. He was an interesting mix of his parents — musically and theatrically gifted, and fiercely independent.

Nat Jones, Sr. died in the late 1960’s, and following his death, Geraldine and her son moved to what would become her adopted home of California, specifically, Los Angeles. There, Gerald-ine would pursue her long-held interest in nursing, going on to become the director of a nursing agency.

In the early 1990s, Cupid’s arrow would strike Geraldine like never before. She began a courtship with Andy Ward. He pursued her fiercely, and at one point, sent her a dozen roses every day while she was away, attending her niece’s wedding in New York. His dogged determination paid off, as she said “yes to the dress” a second time.

The pair lived in Los Angeles until both retired, and decided the more relaxed lifestyle of Oklahoma City better suited their needs. They returned to the Sooner State, and resided in NW Oklahoma City, until Andy’s death. She then moved into her own home, and eventually into assisted living.

Geraldine loved singing, especially in her church choir at Covenant Presbyterian Church from 2005 to 2019. She made many friends there, who all loved her voice, personality, and spirit.

Geraldine Jones was preceded in death by her parents, Jesse and Luetta McCord; her first husband, Nat Jones; her second husband, Andy Ward; and her only child, Nat Jones, Jr.

She is survived by her younger sister NormaJean Gary, and many cousins, nephews and nieces.