Grace Jones

Grace “Granny” Irene Jones

April 6, 1944 - March 21, 2025

Grace Irene (Ross) Jones of Dawn, Missouri, went to dance in Heaven with Jesus on Friday, March 21st, 2025 at the young age of 80. She went to be with her Savior at her home, under the care of her children and St. Luke’s Hospice. She battled with cancer, but that did not keep her spirit or sass down. Gracie was always going somewhere, doing something, or talking to someone.

Gracie was born on a beautiful spring day on April 6, 1944, to Clyde Ross and Lola (Colter) Ross in Avalon, Missouri. The last baby girl of the family of her four siblings.

Gracie was a graduate of Tina-Avalon in 1962 and continued to meet with and call her classmates until her death.

She married Tommy Eugene Jones on December 8, 1962, in Independence, Missouri. Together they had five wonderful children; two girls and three boys all starting with the letter “T”. Gracie and Tommy loved to dance and they are both buried in their dancing shoes. Later in life, they enjoyed taking bus tours. They enjoyed getting involved with their kids' activities like 4-H, riding horses, and going camping.

Gracie loved watching hummingbirds, planting flowers and vegetables, and sewing. She would make many of her own and children's clothes as well as make sewn gifts for her grandchildren. Gracie loved talking to her best friends on the phone and spending time with her family especially holidays and times at the pond. She loved singing, cooking, and going to thrift stores. Gracie loved eating at Taco Bell with her church friends on Sundays and going to fish frys. She loved to visit and get all the latest area news.

She was a very active member of Liberty United Methodist Church. She would welcome and invite anyone and everyone to come with her to church. She especially loved it when her family would all come and take up half the pews in the sanctuary. She also loved attending Blue Mound Cowboy Church.

The Jones Family was the Livingston County Farm Family in 1983. Gracie was inducted into the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame for Livingston County in 2023. She enjoyed time with the Hen and Chicks that met in Avalon. Gracie enjoyed activities at the Senior Center like Bingo and lunch, especially if it was chicken livers. She participated in the Livingston County Steam and Gas Association and the Old Time Harvest Days each year.

She held many jobs, but her favorite job was Granny. She worked for Hedrick Medical Center as a nurse’s aide, in Home Health, and the business office. She worked for Walt’s Decor and also Donaldson’s in Chillicothe. She and her late husband Tommy, drove a school bus for Southwest Livingston County R-1 School. Gracie was also a cook and a custodian for the school where she got to know a lot of the students.

Her spirit lives on through her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her children are Teresa and Bob Heater, Warrensburg; Troy and Cindy Jones, St. Louis; Tena and Brian Eggers, Tina; Todd and Christine Jones, Dawn; and Tony Jones and Tiffany Minard, Dawn. Grandchildren Rebekah and Dakota Seymour, Karah Heater, Jacob Jones and Emily Westlove, Michael Jones, Katie and Blaine Martin, Alison and Dakota McCormick, Marcie and Randy Endicott, Tanner Jones and Sam McDonald, Tucker and Alicia Jones, Tori Jones, Turner Jones, Carly and Emily Minard. Great grandchildren Tyne and Clay Martin, Thea Jones, Izzabelle Seymour, and Quinlynn McCormick. One sister, Joan Williams, Chillicothe She has many nieces and nephews. Gracie was a fantastic Granny to many of her grandchildren’s friends.

Gracie is preceded in death by her husband Tommy, her parents Clyde and Lola Ross, brother Bill Ross (Ruth), sister June Brown (Dean), and brother-in-law Larry Williams.

Granny loved anyone and everyone she met.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in honor of Gracie Jones can be made out to Livingston County 4-H Foundation, Liberty United Methodist Church or Blue Mound Cowboy Church.

A visitation service will be held at Heritage Funeral Home in Chillicothe, MO on Wednesday the 26th from 5pm to 8pm.

A funeral service will be held at Liberty United Methodist Church on Z Hwy, south of Chillicothe on Thursday the 27th at 10:00am with a procession going to Welsh Cemetery afterward.