Lorene Jones

Lorene Lewis Jones was born in Tyler, Texas (Smith County) on May 23, 1922 to the parentage of Everett Lawrence Lewis and Ordia Mae Waters Lewis. She was the youngest of six children. Lorene’s early education was in Smith County and one of her adult dreams was to achieve her High School Diploma, and she did. She professed faith and accepted Christ at an early age. She was a devout servant of the Lord (Usher) and a powerful prayer warrior. She served at “The Church of the Living God” under the leaderships of Elder B. J. Moss, Bishop Lonnie L. Beasley, Bishop L. A. Crawford and presently Bishop Harold Edwards, where she served faithfully while she was still up and moving about. She loved her church family, and if she couldn’t get there on Sunday morning, she really didn’t want to go to any other church with anyone else; but found that sometimes she had no choice, if she wanted to go to church that day. Most of the times, she would just say “Oh well, I just won’t go today.” She made life work for her and lived life to the fullest; she was a strong willed individual and was determined not to give up or give in. While living in New Mexico, she received her High School Diploma from Albuquerque, New Mexico Evening High School on May 29, 1979. Other achievements to name a very few: License to maintain and operate a Foster Home, State of New Mexico in 1989; Reading Improvement and Spelling 1989 Albuquerque Technical Institute Advance ; Mountain View College (Dallas, Texas) Continuing Service Courses in Floral Wedding Design and Cake Decorating.Lorene started sewing while in her teenage years; said she needed clothes, and from that time on, she became a great seamstress. If her girls needed something the next day for church or school, and she didn’t know it until the day or night before, she would make it for them overnight. She would even dye the fabric if it was not the color they needed. If she didn’t have a “professional pattern” she would look at a picture or find something in the closet, and make a pattern out of newspaper or brown paper bag. She also loved quilting and up until in her nineties, she was still trying to sew, mend and even repair household items, because she didn’t want to throw away anything that she felt was still wearable; or any household item that she felt was still usable. She was as we say, (real old school) or (way back in the days). Lorene loved to travel and started her adventures in the 1970s - 2016: Some of her travels included Hawaii; Mediterranean Sea Cruise; Alaskan Cruise; Jerusalem “Holy Land”; Jamaica; Bahamas. She had made plans to go to Africa a few years ago, but the trip was canceled, so she never made it there, to her disappointment. Reluctantly to her daughter Mary’s wishes, because of her mother’s age and declining health, she didn’t want her to go on her last trip to Washington, D.C. but, Lorene was determined to go with her church in August 2016 and no one could say anything to her to keep her from going, and guess what “but God”, she went. She did so much traveling within the USA, won’t even try to name them. If there was a car, bus, ship, train or plane available, she would most likely be on it, if she wanted to go and most of the time, she did, even if she had to go by herself. She was a very hard working woman, raising three sons and two daughters, basically alone. She was also a very independent woman all of her life, and always paid her way throughout life, never wanted anyone to just give her anything. She also taught her children to be hard workers, two or three jobs if necessary, because she didn’t want them to be 100% or even 75% dependent on any man or woman, she didn’t mind 50%. She is preceded in death by her Parents: Everett Lawrence Lewis and Ordia Mae Waters Lewis; Grandmother who raised her, Emma Terrell; Husbands, Alvin Crawford, Richard Floyd Jr., Freeman Jones; Brothers, Jahue Lewis, Henry Lewis, Richard Lewis, Matthew Lewis, and Sister, Lara Mae Lewis; Sons, Ledell Lewis “Jones” and Charles V. Crawford; Daughters-in-law, Verna Jean Lewis and Janice Marie Crawford; and Grandson, Eric M. Bonner. She leaves to cherish her precious memories: one son, J. C. Crawford (Mary) Dallas, Texas; two daughters, Annie Ruth Crawford, Dallas, Texas; Mary L. Bonner (Robert) Dallas, Texas; Tyrone Crawford and Frank Crawford, the two grandsons that she helped raise (Dallas, Texas); Daughters-in-law, Bernita Lewis, Dallas, Texas; and Gloria Crawford (Albuquerque, New Mexico); sixteen grandchildren, many many great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces, cousins, other family members and friends; her church family; and last but not least, her pet companion, Pretty Bird.