Our World seems a little less bright, but Heaven gained a beautiful angel on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, when our beloved mother, grammy, great-gram and great-great-gram passed away at the home of her granddaughter surrounded by family.
Shirley J. Ward Jones was born to Ethan J. and Eunice M. Prior Ward on March 17, 1926, at Thief River Falls, Minn. She moved with her parents to Slope County, N.D., the following year and to De Ridder, La., when she was three. The family moved back to Slope County where she started the first grade in a country school when she was 5.
In 1936, because of the Dust Bowl and hordes of grasshoppers, her family moved to Harrison, Idaho. She attended school in Harrison one year and then went to East Point Elementary School where she graduated from the eighth grade. Her freshman and sophomore years were at the new Moscow High School. She attended Deary Rural High School at Deary, graduating in 1943.
Shirley worked as a flunky in several of Potlatch Lumber Co. logging camps where she met Ervin Monroe. They were married in Moscow Sept. 17, 1944, and lived in Elk River for 17 years where they would have their three children, John, Steven and Deborah. During this time, she was clerk of the board and secretary to the superintendent and Elk River School for five Years. The marriage to Ervin ended in divorce, but she would later meet Brock Jones and shortly after moved to Spokane where she worked for Spokane Linen Supply for two years in the billing department.
Shirley and Brock were married in Coeur d’Alene on Sept. 7, 1963. Brock worked for J.E. Hall Logging building logging roads. Shirley would quit her job in 1964 to be with him on the jobs in the woods. They would live on Blackwell Island, Coeur d’Alene, later moving to St. Maries, Bremerton, Wash., and finally to their new home in Moscow in 1972.
Shirley worked several jobs over those years in classified ads at the Bremerton Sun, for Moscow Police Department as a dispatcher, secretary for Peter Leriget, Attorney and for Moscow School District as Payroll Tech from 1973 until 1988 when she retired. Her plan was to do some traveling with husband, Brock but they later decided to babysit 6-week-old great-grandson, Little Brock, born in 1992 when their granddaughter returned to work. What a joy that would end up being, as Shirley would begin journaling the adventures of this little guy.
Shirley loved music and had sung in public since she was 4 years old. She would continue to sing for graduations, weddings, funerals and also in a number of choirs/choruses up until she was 90. Brock loved to hear her sing and said she had a voice like an angel. She learned to read when she was 3 years old and enjoyed it all of her life. She was a Sunday school teacher and a Girl Scout Leader while she lived in Elk River. She served on the board of directors for Latah Federal Credit Union, as vice-chairman for one year and board chairman for two years. She and her husband, Brock were both members of the Palouse Arts and Crafts Guild for 14 years. In 1983, they both joined the Gold Hill Diggers Gem Club and she enjoyed the trips to dig for garnet, crystals and many other gems/minerals in Montana, Oregon, as well as several areas in Idaho.
Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, Brock Jones in September of 2002, parents, Ethan and Eunice Ward, brothers, Edward, Steve and Paul Ward, sisters, Virginia Corey, JoAnn Hammerly and Penny Novak. Her oldest son, John Monroe, Larry Jones and granddaughter, Stevie Brown.
She is survived by Earlene Monroe, Steve (Terry) Monroe, Debbie Monroe (Greg) Wantz, Loretta Jones, Jerry (Alma) Jones, Jack (Carole) Jones, 19 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren and numerous great-great grandchildren. She also has several nieces, nephews and special friends she loved as her family.
The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Gary Candelaria, for thee exceptional care he gave, as well as Dr. Graeme French who treated her as family. Our sincere thank you to Marie, Dan, Joy and the Chaplin’s with Elite Hospice, as well as Moscow Ambulance crew for making it possible to have her last days at home with family possible.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at Trinity Baptist Church, 711 Fairview Drive, Moscow.
Short’s Funeral Chapel of Moscow is in charge of arrangements and condolences may be left at shortsfuneralchapel.com.
