JONES, Betty Iona (McCONNELL)

METTS, MCCONNELL, JONES, SIMMERMAN, WOODS, BELL, HORTON, DAVENPORT, GIBBONS, WELCHER, MEIS, RAMIREZ, RIVERA, VORHAUER

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/12/2018 at 17:29:38

Obituary ~ Betty Iona (McConnell) Jones
January 31, 1927 ~ September 19, 2017

The Osceola Sentinel-Tribune
Osceola, Clarke County, Iowa

Betty Iona McConnell Jones, daughter of Horace McConnell and Rachel Metz (sic, should be Metts) McConnell, was born January 31, 1927 in Murray, Iowa and passed from this life, Tuesday September 19, 2017 at Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa at 90 years of age.

Betty grew up in Murray. She was united in marriage to Richard Jones on July 3, 1944 at Osceola, Iowa and a daughter, Earlene, blessed this union.

Betty, around the age of 4 contracted polio. For the next 10 years she underwent numerous surgeries, and at one point was in a cast that did not allow her to walk. Eventually she healed and learned to walk again and one of her greatest moments was riding her bike. Due to her experience with Polio, Betty was determined to do all she could and the word “cannot” was not used.

Betty thrived at being a wife and mother. She enjoyed her years living on a farm where Richard was a hired hand. She excelled at keeping a clean house, sewing, cooking, baking, and gardening. Betty also decorated cakes in her younger years.

Betty stayed busy and did not like to have idle hands. She crocheted afghans and pieced together quilts for Earlene and her grandchildren. Betty was blessed with three grandchildren. She enjoyed spending time with them playing cards, making their favorite foods, and sewing clothes for them. Betty also had numerous nieces and nephews that she loved greatly and enjoyed their company through the years.

Richard and Betty enjoyed traveling and made sure they went to various parts of the United States. Camping was a favorite as well. They enjoyed family reunions and being with their siblings and extended families. They were snowbirds for many years, going to California, Arizona, and Texas.

After Richard died in 2015, Betty continued to live in West Des Moines, Iowa with her daughter Earlene. She enjoyed time with her daughter, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and enjoyed the births of her great great grandchildren.

Those relatives who preceded Betty in death were her parents, Horace and Rachel McConnell, husband Richard, brothers, Doyle, Buck, Don, Harry and Dale; sisters, Arlene Simmerman and Bea Woods.

Betty leaves to cherish her memory, Earlene Bell of West Des Moines, IA; grandson, Stacey (Kim) Horton of Maple Grove, Minnesota; granddaughter, Terrie (Mike) Davenport, of Truro, IA; grandson, Marty (Lesa) Horton of West Des Moines, IA; sister, Bobbie (Robert) Gibbons of Murray, IA, brother, Frank McConnell of Williamsburg, IA, sister-in-law, Doris (Kenneth) Welcher of Osceola, IA; great grandchildren, Alexandra Horton, Jonathan Horton, Sarah (Caleb) Meis, Wyatt Davenport, Wade Davenport, Brittney (Steven ) Ramirez, Rilee (Brian) Rivera, and Sydney Vorhauer, great-great grandchildren, Alizah Meis, Noah Meis, Emma Meis, Viviana Ramirez, Vincent Ramirez, Antonio Ramirez and Hugh Rivera and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, March of 2018