Ramona Jones

Ramona was born on September 14, 1937, to Scotty Montgomery and Merle Wade Montgomery in Austin, Texas. She originally attended Austin High, then finished her final three years and graduated from the newly opened McCallum High School in 1955. Ramona was involved in many activities, to include President of Future Homemakers of America, was a Belle Arts Beauty Review finalist, along with being a ‘Football Sweetheart’. Perhaps the (now) funniest story shared was her lowest grade –- an “F” in Physical Ed class. Because she didn’t want to “mess up” her beautiful appearance, she refused to dress out, leaving the coaches no other choice when it became report card time.

Ramona would marry her High School Sweetheart C. Price Rogers III in 1956, and together they had a son in 1961. She later married Leslie J. Jones and together they raised their blended family until his death in 2003. She would then wait until 2015, when she married Bill Barton, and together they enjoyed six wonderful years together before Bill’s passing in 2021.

While her formal education ended at High School, little did the world know she would embark on a remarkable career that began after the high school graduation of her son Spike in 1979. Ramona would join Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) as a receptionist, where she was one of four employees that advocated, supported, and lobbied for Community Banks across Texas. She remained there for 35 years, helping the organization grow immensely, before retiring at age 76 in 2014 as Vice-Chair of IBAT and President of IBAT Services Corp. Her career saw her meet (and/or) travel with three Governors and one future President (George W. Bush). It ended with one of the largest endorsements ever, Dell Corporation. As written in a magazine article categorizing her work career, ‘the signing of Dell could be compared to hitting a ninth inning home run in the seventh game of the World Series - Ramona could then tip her hat to the crowd and head for the dugout’. Her work friends and associations were incredibly important to her, and she gained the nickname, “The Velvet Hammer” due to her ability to softly negotiate through collaboration, a goal of mutually beneficial outcomes, and an innate ability to deliver even tough news in a classy, dignified manner, which earned the respect of many she came into contact with. The family sincerely appreciates all her “dear friends” (as she called them) whom she met over those many years.

Ramona (interestingly) was “drawn to” famous NFL Quarterbacks, even though as we know, she didn’t exactly embark on her own athletic journey. The belief is they embodied a “never quit attitude” that she too carried throughout her life journey. A personalized picture of her with Roger Staubach and her Rookie Card of Patrick Mahomes hung on the wall in her room until the day she passed. Her quiet but competitive fire played out one last time after she had been diagnosed with Vascular Dementia, then outlived the average mortality rate by 60%.

In her retirement, Ramona loved to travel with family and friends, with an affinity for New York City. She loved beautiful flowers and gardens and was always very meticulous in her appearance and dress. She was known for her beautiful striking green eyes, and of course her warm smile. She served on the Board of Trustees at the Headliners Club, and was a founding member of Austin Baptist Church, where she chaired the Long-Term Planning Committee before moving to Dallas to be with family in 2022.

It is said that true character is revealed when nobody is looking. Ramona’s character was revealed when she would leave $20 bills on pillows in Hotel Rooms upon check out to help those who cleaned. It was shown when she would write thank you notes to her son’s friends who would come from out of town to enjoy weekends at her house in Austin. And it was revealed when she would find someone who may be an outsider or not know anyone at one of the many events that she attended, only to engage them and ensure they felt included and had an enjoyable experience. She had gifts that were just natural, and it was a great blessing for her family to sit back and watch her in action.

Ramona is survived by son Curran Price (Spike) Rogers IV (Colleen) of Celina, TX., Daughter Jani Cross (recently deceased Tom) of Raleigh, N.C., Son Les Jones (Anne) of Wimberly, TX., and Karyn Fredericks of Little Rock, AR. She is also survived by eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

The family wishes to thank her caregivers at Edgemere Senior Living in Dallas, and Hospice Plus in Dallas. Ap special thank you to the Clay & Sharon Barton, Travis and Lisa Barton, and Laura Barton-Weiss Families for their unwavering support throughout the process. A celebration of Ramona’s life will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, November 13 at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home (5416 Parkcrest Drive, Austin).

Because Flowers were so enjoyed by Ramona, we won’t discourage them at all…and if you’d like to donate in another way, please consider the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. If another Charity is important to you, in true Ramona fashion, she would love for you to donate there while thinking of her.