Tamela Ewing Jones

She spent her childhood in Independence, enjoying living close to grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Tammy loved spending time at the Old Cabin, then the new Cabin at the Lake of the Ozarks. Here she learned to ski, ride the saucer, swim, and fish. A place that was very dear to her heart. When she was 13 ½ the family moved to St. Louis, Missouri. This was a big change, and then just a short 9 months later her Dad was transferred to Centralia, Illinois. Tammy was a member of the High School Dance Team (Orphanetts), and a graduate of Centralia High School.

Tammy attended Graceland College where she met Kelly Everett and married October 1, 1977. She became a mother to 3 children and created a home that was filled with love, laughter and memories. She earned a degree in Elementary Education and taught 2nd and 3rd grade for a number of years while living in St. Peters, MO. She volunteered at summer youth camps and co-directed Sr. high camps and youth venture trips for a number of years. She earned her Master of Education degree in 1999.

She then moved with her family to Lamoni, Iowa and became a professor in the Edmund Gleazer School of Education. She and her husband Kelly played host to numerous game nights, family dinners and gatherings with their kids, nieces and nephews, and college students. They made everyone feel they had a second home in Lamoni. Around this time she welcomed the first of many grandchildren and earned her most prized role as a Mimi. She attended University of Iowa and earned her Doctorate in Philosophy in 2006. During her time at Graceland Tammy served as Dean of the School of Education followed by Vice President of Academic Affairs and a board member with HealthEd Connect. She retired in the summer of 2016 and continued her love of teaching with online classes with Graceland University and Columbia. On July 9th of 2016 she married her high school sweetheart Bart Jones. They spent their days together renovating a 1930’s lake home in Lake Tapawingo, MO. They enjoyed having their children and grandchildren visit and play on the lake. They recently moved to Indianola, Iowa after Bart’s retirement to be closer to family.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband Bart Jones, her children Elizabeth and Kevin Lloyd of Lamoni, Iowa; Jake and Erin Everett of Indianola, Iowa; Jennifer and Daniel Doerfler of West Des Moines, Iowa. The grandchildren she loved, Audrey, Kelly, and Tyson Lloyd, Andrew, Kaylee, Allison and Ellie Doerfler, Felicity, Calum, John and Ivy Everett. Her mother Donna Ewing; her sister Vicki and Rusty Gunther, of Lake St. Louis. Her husband’s children Kristen and Chad Barrick, Roscoe, Illinois; Jeremy & Vienna Jones, Rockford, Illinois; and his grandchildren Silas and Rosie Jones. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Service will be held January 29th at Colonial Hills Community of Christ, 3539 Mo-7, Blue Springs, Missouri at 12:30pm. Visitation will be before the service 11:00-12:30pm. Family will continue on to the Graveside Service at Mound Grove Cemetery 1818 North River Boulevard, Independence, Missouri 64050.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to HealthEd Connect, a charity Tammy served and supported for many years. Gifts may be made online: www.healthedconnect.org (select 'I would like to dedicate this donation'); or, by mail: 1401 W. Truman Rd, Independence, MO 64050. Tammy made many trips to Jamaica where she worked diligently to improve the educational programs for the children. She loved the Jamaican people and they loved her. She brought the same intensity of caring and concern for less advantaged children to the HealthEd Connect board where she served as a director from 2013-2015. Her expertise and first-hand knowledge about education was crucial in establishing the HealthEd Connect schools in Africa which now provide education with pivotal wrap-around programs for over 1400 orphans and vulnerable children. She continued to loyally and generously support HealthEd Connect through the years.