Cleo Jones Marshall

Cleo Ruth Marshall left this earth to be with the Lord on Tuesday, December 17, 2013. She was born Cleo Ruth Floyd on May 5, 1923 in Ottawa, Kansas, the first of two children born to Levi and Ruth Floyd. The family moved to Kansas City, where Levi opened a Venetian Blind company.

Cleo married her childhood sweetheart, Edwin Caseman Jones, Jr. at the age of 17 just after he joined the Army Air Corp. She tried to follow him into service but her father wouldn’t sign the required papers. After WWII, She and Ed lived in San Jose, CA for a brief time, but returned to Kansas City to settle in the suburb of Overland Park. They started a family and had two sons, Steven, born in 1948 and Martin, born in 1952. Cleo was widowed suddenly in 1957 when Ed passed away at 40 years of age. She was left on her own to care for a young family. During later years, she would be married and widowed a second time.

During these years, Cleo worked with the Gillette Company in Kansas City. In the 1970’s, with Steven back from service in Vietnam and Martin in Kansas State University, she and her husband Riley moved to Kissimmee, Florida along with her younger brother Lee and his wife Nilene to open a tourist shuttle business in the boom town of Orlando. When Riley became ill in the 1980’s, they closed the business and she moved to California to be close to where her sons now lived. Riley passed away in 1987 at the age of 57.

Cleo lived happily near the California coast in Oxnard for 17 years where she enjoyed Round Dancing and a full social life. When she met Robert Marshall, he was a widower and they shared an interest in Bridge. Their friendship bloomed and they were married in January of 2004. The Ventura Star ran a story of their wedding under the title “It’s never too late for romance”. They were married nearly 10 years and enjoyed traveling and social groups. They came to an understanding early that Cleo doesn’t cook and Robert doesn’t dance!

Cleo was preceded in death by her younger brother, Lee (2004), her older son, Steven (2007) and her nephew, Lee Jr. (2006). She is survived by her husband, Robert Marshall; son, Martin Jones; daughter-in-law, Martha; two grandsons-in-law, Christopher and James; granddaughter-in-law, Jennifer; great granddaughter, Jillian. Also survived by son-in-law, Stephen Marshall and wife, Laura, their two children, Scott and Keira; son-in-law David Marshall, his wife, Kerri and their two children, Justin and Cory.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 28, 2013, 9:00am until 10:00am, at the Ted Mayr Funeral home, 3150 Loma Vista Road, Ventura, with services beginning at 10:00am. A private burial will follow at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home.