Zola "Joan" Jones

Zola “Joan” Jones passed away on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Quapaw, Oklahoma at the age of ninety. She was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1933 to Chester and Elizabeth Norman. Zola was named after her paternal grandmother but went by her middle name Joan, or “JoAnn” as her family called her. She was the oldest of eight children, her siblings were (in descending order by age), Ron, Fred, Gary, Mary, Linda, Joyce, and Tim. Chester worked for an Oil Company and the family moved frequently, eventually ending up in south Texas near Galveston. Joan was close to her brother Ron, the second eldest, and together they relished teasing their younger siblings and getting into other mischief. Joan attended La Marque High School and enjoyed playing in the band and attending football games. After High School, Joan went to Junior College in Keene, Texas near Fort Worth. At this time, she was ardently pursued by a young man named James “Sherwood” Jones who was friends with her brothers and thought she had the most beautiful blue eyes and prettiest smile he had ever seen. They began dating and both went on to attend Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. Joan excelled in her studies and consistently earned a spot on the Honor Roll or Dean’s List. She graduated with a BS degree, with an English Major and History Minor. Sherwood attended the seminary to become an ordained minister. The couple got married in July 1955, while Sherwood was still finishing school. In 1957, they welcomed a baby boy and named him Scott. Sherwood graduated from the seminary and the family moved to Wichita, Kansas, where he became Pastor of a small church. In 1960, they were blessed with a little girl and named her Jeanette. Joan loved being a mother and taking care of her beautiful babies. In 1963 the family moved as missionaries to the Middle East with a 6 month stop in Athens, Greece then on to Beirut, Lebanon where Sherwood taught New Testament languages at Middle East College for 1 year before settling in Nicosia, Cyprus, where Sherwood was the President of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church mission. In 1965, the youngest family member arrived, and they named her Susan. In 1969, before returning to the US, the family spent 4 weeks exploring Europe. Back in the US, the family moved to Madison, Tennessee where Sherwood got a job as the Hospital Champlain, and Joan decided to obtain her teaching credentials. For her first teaching assignment, she had the misfortune of getting a classroom full of undisciplined and uncontrollable sixth grade boys. After one year, the experience removed her desire to ever teach again, and she took a job as the Administrative Assistant for the President of the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference of the SDA Church. When the President retired, she became the Office Assistant for a local cardiologist. In 1977, the family moved to Loma Linda, California, where Sherwood accepted a job as Counselor and Joan again worked as the Administrative Assistant for the President of the Southeast California Conference of SDAs. Joan was exceptionally proficient at her job resulting in her being retained by three different Conference Presidents. She was friends with many of her co-workers who thought she was one of the sweetest and kindest people they had ever met. Eventually Sherwood also got a job for the SDA Conference in the Trust Department and the couple both worked there together until they retired. Joan was naturally artistic and enjoyed sketching and watercolor painting. She also enjoyed cooking and attended several gourmet cooking classes with her daughters. More than anything, Joan enjoyed being with her family and most especially her grandchildren. She loved being surrounded by family during the Holidays, giving or sometimes making goodies for her grandchildren and joining in family game night. She lived near her youngest daughter Susan and enjoyed watching her grandsons, Ryan, and Nick, on her days off creating art projects, making cookies, taking them to the park, and reading them stories. She would always light up whenever Ryan or Nick walked in the room. She always looked forward to the annual trips to Dallas in the spring to reunite with her brothers and sisters, where the days were filled with sharing stories, laughter, and good food. Her sisters would visit California once a year for a girls’ weekend, which was also very special to her. She was loved by so many and will be greatly missed. She will be remembered as a loving sister, mother and grandmother, a devoted wife, and a loyal friend. Her husband, Sherwood died in April 2017, and her daughter, Jeanette, died in June 2023. She is survived by her son Scott Jones, wife Alissa Jones, granddaughter Ashley Jones Neill, husband Walter Neil, and great grandson Wally Neil. And her daughter Susan Jones Wilhelm, husband Jeffrey Wilhelm, grandson Ryan Wilhelm, wife Cassidy Wilhelm, grandson Nick Wilhelm, wife Katie Wilhelm and great grandson Cade “CJ” Wilhelm. She is also survived by her siblings, Ron Norman, Gary Norman, Mary Borton, Linda Davis, Joyce Norman, and Tim Norman. Brother, Fred Norman passed in April 2020. Zola’s wishes were for cremation. Cremation services have been placed in the care of Brown-Winters Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Miami, Oklahoma. Friends and family may send the family notes of encouragement by viewing Zola's Tribute Page at www.brown-winters.com.

Zola "Joan" Jones

July 12, 1933 - May 17, 2024