Billy Joe "Bill" Jones, Sr.

Billy Joe “Bill” Jones, Sr. of Oletha, passed away Sunday, September 2, 2012 at his home. He was 71. Visitation will be Tuesday, September 4, 2012, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M., at the Groesbeck Funeral Home. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at Old Union Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Bobby W. Pelton, Joshua J. Jones, Justin Jones, Jesse Jones, Michael Jones, and Jason Jones. Bill was born June 23, 1941 to John Thomas Jones and Alice Virginia (Gilmore) Jones at Yazoo City, Mississippi. Raised in a large family of ten children, he and a brother moved to Houston when he was a young teenager to find work. He worked many different jobs before he was employed by the Houston ISD, where he trained and became a master plumber. He also attended trade school and was liscened in electrical and refrigeration work. He lived in Houston most of his life, where he raised his family. Bill retired from the Houston ISD in 1976 and moved to Washington where his brother lived. He worked as a pipe fitter on Navy carriers in the Port of Washington for a year. Then he moved back to Houston to work for the Port Authority of Houston, as a millwright and then as Master Plumber for over twenty years. In 2004, Bill moved to Oletha to live with his daughter, Jennifer Pelton. Bill enjoyed all the time he was able to spend with his family and especially the grandchildren. Billy was preceded in death by his parents; brother, J. T. Jones, Jr., brother, Oliver Eugene Jones, sister, Mildred Ellis, sister, Louise Van Doekel, and sister, Rose Alice Schillinger. He is survived by son and daughter-in-law, Billy J. Jones, Jr. and Debbie of Cleveland, TX, son, Dwayne Jones of Louisiana, son, Gary D. Jones of Cleveland, daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and John Harris of Teague, and daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer Pelton and Kelly Wilson of Oletha; fifteen grandchildren; and thirteen great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Melvin and Dorothy Jones of New Waverly, sister, Myrtle Renfro of Georgia, sister, Thelma Hollingsworth of Lake Mississippi, and brother, Louis Jones of Huntsville, TX.