Erma Mae Jones

On October 12, 2025, Erma Mae Jones (nee Willis) passed away peacefully with her sons at her side. She was the beloved wife of the late Harry Arnet Jones, Jr; the loving mother of Arnet “Skee” Jones (wife Joyce Streat Jones), Michael Anthony Jones (wife Joann Jones), and the late Robin Sue Jones; the devoted grandmother of David James Malave-Jones (wife Adilina Alexis Malave-Jones), the late Daniel William Jones, Laura Elizabeth Jones, and Erica Margaret Jones. She was the dear great-grandmother of Mateo Michael Dominguez.

Erma was born in Oella, MD on September 11, 1928, the only child of the late James and Dora Willis (nee Cavey). In 1941 she and her family moved to Ellicott City where she attended local schools. In 1944, Erma and her parents moved to Union, SC where she attended high school. During the summers, she worked in the office of the Excelsior Woolen Mills where she met her dearest friend, Dot Nichols. The family returned to Ellicott City in 1946 where she completed high school.

In 1951 Erma married Harry Jones, Jr. Like Erma, Harry was an only child and was born on September 11, 1928. They moved to West Baltimore where they raised their three children. When the children were in elementary school, Erma was a dedicated and selfless stay-at-home Mom. She was a wise and popular parent in the Edmondson Village neighborhood where they lived, and was the go-to person for first aid when any neighborhood kid was injured playing baseball or in a bicycle mishap.

When her kids were older, Erma took a position with the Child Protective Services Division of the Maryland Department of Social Services. She was promoted to a position where she supervised administrative personnel who produced reports of social workers who documented cases of neglected and abused children. She was deeply moved by this work and became an advocate for neglected and abused children. In 1992 Erma retired from the Department of Social Services after more than 20 years of service.

Erma loved music beginning from when she was a little girl. She was proud to be responsible for polishing her father’s trumpet. She played piano and loved to sing. For many years she was a member of the Baltimore Chapter of the Sweet Adelines, a global organization of women who sing barbershop harmony. After her retirement from public service in 1992, Erma she was a regular volunteer at the Catonsville Senior Center and a member of the Westminster Senior Singers. She was an active member of Emory United Methodist church in Ellicott City.

In 1990 Erma became a grandmother when her grandson David was born. Daniel, Laura, and Erica followed. More than anything, she loved being “Mamoo” and “Gram.” She recently became a proud and happy great-grandmother with the birth of Mateo Michael.

Erma's life was touched by deep sadness. Harry, her husband of 33 years and the father of her three children, died in 1984. Her grandson Daniel died in 2015. And Robin, her only daughter and youngest child, died in 2024 after a long struggle with kidney disease.

Erma loved the Baltimore Orioles. She didn't drink or smoke and rarely cursed, but she did like sweet and salty snacks. Erma never hesitated to tell anyone her opinion on any subject. She was a lifelong Democrat. Erma spent her last three years at Terraces of Westminster where she liked to tell friends that she was able to celebrate her 97th birthday because of her “hillbilly genes.”

The family will receive friends from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm on Sunday, October 19 at the Sterling-Ashton-Schwab-Witzke Funeral Home of Catonsville, Inc., 1630 Edmondson Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228. A funeral service will be held 11 am, Monday, October 20 at the funeral home. Interment in Good Shepherd Cemetery, 2805 Rogers Avenue, Ellicott City, MD 21043, will follow the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her memory to the American Kidney Fund https://www.kidneyfund.org/ or to the Abused Children's Fund, Inc. https://abusedchildrensfund.org/