Oras Opal Jones

Oras Jones, of Groesbeck, passed away Monday, July 19, 2010 at the Windsor Healthcare Residence, at age 101. Visitation will be Tuesday, July 20, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M., at the Groesbeck Funeral Home. Services will be Wednesday, July 21, 2010, at 10:00 A.M., at the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Reverend Tracy Sims officiating. Burial will follow at Faulkenberry Cemetery. Her grandsons will serve as Pallbearers. Oras was born June 21, 1909, to George W. O’Neal and Elizabeth (Betty) Vance O’Neal in Limestone County, and grew up in the Prairie Point community. When Oras was 16, she married Roy Jones, who was 29. Oras and Roy lived on the Herndon Ranch at Prairie Point, where their 5 children were born and started school. In the mid-forties they moved into Groesbeck, where Roy worked at Hollies’ Café and Oras went to work at the Groesbeck school cafeteria. Oras worked at the Groesbeck school for about fifteen years. Oras and Roy moved to Waller to manage a restaurant for their daughter for about a year and a half. When Roy passed away while they were living in Waller, Oras moved back to Groesbeck. She went to work at the Mexia State School, working there until retiring in her sixties. In her seventies, Oras was a Foster Grandparent at the Mexia State School, and looked forward each day to driving her group of friends to work at Mexia. She enjoyed working with the special-needs children and also worked with children in the Public Schools. In her eighties she was working at the Maffett Memorial Library in Groesbeck, until one day she just decided to “retire.” Oras was an independent spirit. She had many things she enjoyed in life, including driving, and she especially loved playing dominoes -“84.” She and a group of friends played once or twice a week in their homes. Oras was a member of the First Baptist Church of Groesbeck, and very active and faithful in attendance until her hearing became a problem in her nineties; then she watched the services on T.V. Oras never missed going to the beauty shop each week. The family has many fun stories of her driving skills, including one trip to and “thru” the beauty shop at Mexia. When she was 94, Oras told the family she decided she needed to give up driving, and sold her car to the Senior Citizens/Limestone Transit, because she could walk to the Senior Center to continue playing “84.” When Oras was 96, she told her family she was tired of keeping house, and decided to move into the Windsor Healthcare Facility. At 98, she started telling the family she didn’t understand what “HE” was waiting on, letting her live so long. She had continued to love playing “84" and enjoying herself at Windsor, up until she had lost her eyesight by age 99, which left her then without her sense of hearing, smell, and eyesight. The family celebrated her 100th. Birthday at the Windsor with a small party, including receipt of a Birthday card from the President. Her 101st. Birthday was quieter on June 21st., and on July 19th., “HE” called her home. Oras was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Roy; 11 brothers and sisters; a daughter, Georgia Louise Ragsdale; a son, Norman Ray Jones; three granddaughters, Toni Glasco, Kathy Jones, and Jerry Lou Harter; and a great granddaughter, Kristi McCoy. She is survived by a son, Roy Milton “Sonny” Jones and wife Florence of Mexia; daughter, Teresa Glasco of Brenham; daughter, Joanne Burleson and husband Jerry of Waxahachie; and daughter-in-law, Marvaline Jones of Groesbeck. Her family also includes six grandchildren, fourteeen great grandchildren, and six great great grandchildren. She has one brother, Alvie O’Neal of Corsicana; and three sisters, Tinnie Wilson of Groesbeck, Nelda Mae Oliver of Houston, and Margie Rogers of Corsicana.