Mary Frances Jones

DATELINE: AMARILLO
YEAR OF BIRTH:  1942
VETERAN: NO

Mary “Frances” Jones, 70, passed away Sunday, April 7, 2013.

A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 P.M., Thursday, April 11, at Craig Methodist Retirement Center Chapel.  High tea will be served in the lobby of Craig Methodist immediately following the service.  Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home, 4100 South Georgia.

Frances was born April 20, 1942 in Quanah to Hattie Isaacks Jones and Green Webster Jones. She was raised in Eldorado, Oklahoma where she graduated as Valedictorian from Eldorado High School with numerous academic scholarships.

Following high school graduation she attended Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha (now Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts) and graduated from Oklahoma State University receiving her Bachelor of Science in clothing, textiles and merchandising. She received her Master of Science in Library Science in 1967 from East Texas State University now Texas A&M University in Commerce.

She began her academic career in 1966 at ETSU where she held positions at Gee Library in the Curriculum Library, Periodicals department and as Head, Acquisitions Department. Frances directed the development of an online acquisitions system in 1970 which increased book and magazine ordering efficiency by fifty percent.

She moved to Amarillo in 1972 to continue her career at West Texas State University as Assistant to the Librarian.  She held positions as Associate Librarian for Technical services and University Librarian. During her years at WTAMU she held several offices in professional organizations such as the Texas Library Association and the Harrington Library Consortium.  She was a member of many services groups, the Amarillo Women’s Network, Amarillo Business and Professional Women’s Club, Friends of Amarillo Public Library, Friends of WTAMU Cornette Library, League of Women Voters, and SPCA.  During her years after retirement she enjoyed gardening, reading and having high tea with her friends each afternoon.  Survivors include her brother, Gordon Lee Jones and wife Clara of Garden City, Kansas and several nieces and nephews.  She also leaves behind numerous friends and her beloved rescue dog, Molly.

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