Elizabeth "Betty" Jones, 96, died Friday, March 12th at Golden Living Healthcare in Lake Norden. She was born September 5, 1913 on a farm near Egan, SD to Paul and Mary (Hutton) Gregg, the eldest of four children. She attended rural Moody County country school and graduated from Egan High School in 1931. She attended Eastern State Normal School, now Dakota State University, in Madison, SD, receiving a one year elementary teaching certificate. She taught two years at Tidd and two years at Smith Country Schools before she was married to Ralph Jones on March 21, 1936 at the Methodist Church in Egan, SD. She enjoyed riding horse, playing her clarinet in high school and loved teaching school. She and her husband farmed on the Jones farm northwest of Flandreau until Ralph died February 7, 1973. She continued to live there for five more years and then moved into Flandreau where she resided until 1993. Due to health problems, she became a resident of Prairie Crossing Assisted Living in Watertown and has resided at Golden Living Healthcare at Lake Norden since 2002. Betty was an active member of the Flandreau United Methodist Church, UMW, Pleasant Hour Neighborhood Club and Athena Club. She was a past State Eastern Star Historian and a 50 plus member of Beulah Chapter at Flandreau and then Brookings having served as worthy matron several times as well as other offices. She had a special talent for writing poetry to fit any occasion and many of her organizations, family and friends were provided with a personal poem. Betty was a loving and caring person who always tried to help others. Her family and friends were all important to her. She enjoyed sharing many special activities with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her interests were many and she always was willing to try something new. She loved to dance, play cards, travel, visit family and friends and took pride in growing her beautiful roses. She took organ lessons for several years, reaching her goal to play in the church just one Sunday.


Betty is survived by 3 children, Shirley Anne (Daniel) Boone, Watertown, SD, Robert (Cheryl) Jones, San Antonio, TX, Warren (Jackie) Jones, Fredericksburg, TX; 8 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren; 1 sister, Margaret Headrick, Flandreau; and 2 sisters-in-law, Eleanor Niemann, Lake Benton, MN, Doris Gregg, Custer, SD. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph, a great-grandson, Jacob Leibel, a sister, Mildred Herrick, a brother, Russell Gregg and two brothers-in-law, Myron Herrick and Clair Headrick.

Funeral services will be 2:00 pm Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at the United Methodist Church, Flandreau, with burial in Union Cemetery. Visitation begins at 4:00 pm Monday with a 7:00 pm prayer service at Skroch Funeral Chapel, Flandreau. www.skrochfc.com