Mary Jim Jones

MARY JIM JONES Mary Jim Jones entered eternal rest on February 9, 2006. Mary Jim was born in Headland, Alabama, on April 15, 1927. As a child during the depression, her family moved to Alvin, Texas, where she graduated with the 1945 Class of Alvin High School. From there she moved to Austin, where she graduated from the University of Texas with a B.A. in Speech Education. While a student, she married Maxwell Campbell Jones in 1948. After graduation 19 1949, they moved to Temple, Texas where Mary Jim became the head of the Speech Department at Temple High School and Temple Junior College. She taught speech in a private studio for twenty years, as well as substituted for the Temple Independent School District for ten years. She also worked with her husband, who was a sales representative of animal nutrients, for Dow Chemical Company and Peter Hand foundation of Chicago, Illinois. Mary Jim was active in many organizations during her lifetime. While at the University, she was president of the Women's Independent Organization, president of Grisham Speakers, a member of Orange Jackets and a Student Council representative. She later did graduate work at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor University and at Texas Tech University in El Paso. She served on the Temple Public Library Board for 25 years, during which she was president of the board for two years. She organized and was chairman of the Children's Storytelling Hour, giving many puppet plays and storytelling sessions. She was Chairman of the Central Texas District of the Texas Library Association and a member of the National Library Association, In addition to her library work; she served as president of the Widowed Person's Service of Bell County. She was always active in PTA during the time her children were in school, and served as president of the Lamar Junior High School parent-Teacher Association. She worked for the Democratic Party for many years and served as Chairman of the Women's Democratic Organization of Bell County. Other memberships included the Nan Brown Garden Club, Temple Quarterback, Texas Junior College Speech Association, City Federation of Women's Clubs, Arno Art League, Wednesday's Women's Social Club, Santa Fe Railroad Museum, and Bell County Museum, charter member of the Library of Congress Associates, the Bijuperti Puppet Club of Austin, and Bell County Ex Students Association of the University of Texas. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Willie Mae Alexander and John Thomas Jones, and by her husband, Maxwell Campbell Jones, She is by her children, Jacqueline Jones Gray and her husband, Michael, of Tomball, Texas, Gary Maxwell Jones and wife Deborah, of Temple, Texas, and Maxwell Clayton Jones and his wife Stephanie, of Kingwood, Texas. Her grandchildren are Amber Elizabeth Jones of McKinney, Texas, Clay Weston Jones and his wife Rachael, of San Antonio, Texas, Erin Elisabeth Gray of Austin, Texas, and Alyssa Lynn Jones and Kimberly Glenn Jones of Kingwood, Texas. She is also survived by her brothers McDuffie Jones and his wife Clementine and James Robert Jones of Alvin, Texas, her step-sister, Jewel J. Fatta of Dickinson, Texas, her sister-in-law, Barbara Stephens, of Alvin, Texas and five nephews and nieces. Pallbearers are Darr Kuykendall, J. Daniel Ibarra, George L. White, Patrick B. Mullins, Dr. James S. Weinblatt, Dr. George Brindley, Lawrence G. Marble, and Dr. Raleigh White IV. Honorary Pallbearers are Keifer Marshall, Jr., William P. Cloud, Dr. Jack S. Weinblatt, Frank Harlan and Julian Patterson. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Monday February 13, 2006 at Christ Episcopal Church in Temple with Rev. David Alwine officiating. A graveside service will be held at Hillcrest Cemetery after the church service. A family visitation will be held from 3 until 4 PM Sunday February 12, 2006 at the Scanio-Harper Funeral Home in Temple. Memorials may be made to the McGowan-Stephens School at Christ Episcopal Church 117 North 1st Street, Temple, Texas 76501 or the Temple Public Library, 100 West Adams, Temple, Texas 76501. Services are under the direction of Scanio-Harper Funeral Home of Temple, Texas.