Richard J Jones

Richard Jones, of Falls County, Texas, died April 18, 2017 in a Cameron Nursing Center. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 22, 2017 in First Baptist Church in Rosebud. Dr. Carl Jennings and Rev. Jody Hickman officiating. Burial will follow in Little River Cemetery in Jones Prairie. Visitation will be held on Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Cook-Gerngross-Green-Patterson Funeral Home in Rosebud.

Richard was born June 20, 1931 at Jones Prairie, Milam County, Texas to Bailey Franklin and Selma (Jamison) Jones. Until age 10, the family lived either in Cameron or Jones Prairie. In June 1941, the family moved to Freeport, Texas where Bailey was employed by Dow Chemical. Richard graduated from Freeport High School (now Brazosport) High School in 1948 at the age of 16. The family moved back to Jones Prairie in the spring of 1948 and Richard enrolled in Cameron Yoe High in 1948-49 as a post graduate. He then enrolled in Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) in San Marcos, Texas graduating with a B.B.A. degree in 1953. Richard was able to work his way through Southwest Texas and graduate debt free, especially thank to Dow Chemical for good summer jobs.

Immediately following graduation, Richard was drafted into the US Army and sent to Fort Riley, Kansas for basic training. After completion of infantry basic, Richard was selected to attend Army Finance School at Fort Benjamin, Harrison, Indiana(Indianapolis), graduating in the spring of 1954 as a Finance Disbursing specialist with an assignment to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he completed his military obligation.

While stationed at Fort Knox, Richard married Nelda Fae Henson on August14, 1954, immediately following her graduation from Baylor University. They moved to Rineyville, Kentucky, where Nelda was employed as a second grade teacher. Upon completing his service obligation, Nelda and Richard moved to San Antonio, Texas, where he was employed in the executive training program for Allied Stores (Joske’s of Texas) and Nelda taught second grade at Howard Elementary in Alamo Heights ISD. Richard enrolled in St. Mary’s University night Law School in September 1955 under the G.I. Bill. He was licensed to practice law in December 1963. He received his fifty year lawyer certificate at the State Bar meeting in 2013.

After completing the training program at Joske’s, Richard was employed by Allstate Insurance Co. as a casualty claims adjuster and left Allstate eight years later as District Claims Manager to practice law in Waxahachie, Texas. After five years in private practice he joined the Department of Veterans Affairs as a field attorney where he remained until retirement as District Counsel on July 1, 1991. During his career with the V.A., he was selected and completed Leadership VA and upon retirement, received the Distinguished Career Award from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Richard directed the Baptist Student Union choir his senior year at Texas State and upon graduation, was selected to sing and tour in the first Texas Baptist student union choir. While serving as a deacon and in many other church capacities, Richard was active in the music programs of the churches attended, including music director at Central Baptist in Luling, Central Baptist in San Antonio, First Baptist in Rosebud, First Baptist in Rineyville, Kentucky, and interim at First Baptist in Waxahachie. Richard also toured the Fifth Army Area with a gospel quartet/octet while in the Army. He also sang in the church quartet at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Nelda; Three children, David LeRoy Jones of Rosebud, Paula Jones of Rosebud, and James Warwick Jones of Keller, Texas; seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He is also survived by a brother, Jamie Jones and wife JoAnn of Temple, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Operation Christmas Child through the First Baptist Church of Rosebud, P.O. Box 631, Rosebud, Texas 76570 or the charity of your choice.