Betty Jones

Betty Marie Jones, age 79, went home to Jesus on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 after 13+ years with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was the youngest of 10 children born Betty Marie Kornegay to William Thomas Kornegay and Pauline Cox in Caldwell, Texas on December 9, 1939. Leading up to graduation from Deer Park High School in May 1958, she previously attended Caldwell High School and was a spirited baton twirler and loyal friend. Out of high school, her first marriage bestowed her loving sons Raymond Douglas (Doug) and Ronald Keith (Ronnie) for whom she devoted her time, talent, and treasure. Whether serving as room mother, energetic baseball mom, award-winning FFA chicken feed chef, or FFA Parents of the year 2 years running, her heart was enveloped in raising boys into men. Her love spilled out to other children also as she taught pre-school at Keys Private School, cared for others’ children while they worked, and she was even magnetized to babies and young children on into her years following diagnosis. As an empty-nester, she began working for the State of Texas Health Department until her retirement in 2001.

After meeting the inventive and charming William Warren Jones (Billy) in 1979, Betty, encouraged by her sisters, allowed herself to fall hard in love marrying her true love on September 19, 1980, a day she treasured on her yearly calendars into the next century. Her engrained level of care from her 20’s-40’s spilled into caring for Billy as he battled congestive heart failure until his passing in 2000.

Throughout her life, she has held a strong love for her family, namely her siblings maintaining with them both a 65+ year annual Thanksgiving family reunion gathering more than 100+ most years as well as a yearly summer reunion with her sisters, and often including their dear brother Charles. In her enduring years, she grasped opportunities to seize life by traveling to see her sisters, joining the Red Hat Society with her sister Mattie, and re-involving herself and her faith in the Lord via the United Methodist Church.

Betty Marie is preceded in death by her parents, siblings Buna Inez Oncken, Horace Thomas Kornegay, Winnie Estelle Miller, Corrie Doris Pillow, and Patsy Jane Urbanosky. Betty Marie is survived by children, Raymond Douglas Brod (Age 59) and wife Joyce Engelhardt Brod (Age 60), Ronald Keith Brod (Age 56) and wife Teresa Sowell Brod (Age 56), grandchildren Krista Brod Borchard (Age 35) and husband Ralph Henry Borchard (Age 36), Ashlee Lynn Mataway (Age 32) and husband Phillip Troy Mataway (Age 31), and Chase Michael Brod (Age 30) and wife Hannah Trochta Brod (Age 30), and great-grandchildren Makenzie Lynn Mataway (Age 5) and Jacob Thomas Mataway (Age 3). She is further survived by siblings Mildred Whaley (Age 91), Charles Kornegay (Age 89), Mattie Novosad (Age 87), Peggy Hayes (Age 82), and countless loving family members and dear friends.

The family appreciates, most notably, Betty’s sister Mattie Novosad for her years as devoted and dedicated caregiver to their mother and Nana. Further, the attentive caregivers at Autumn Leaves Cypresswood and US Memory Care/Silverado Vintage Park are thanked for their love of Betty’s spirit and well-being.

A visitation begins at 11AM on Saturday, July 13th at Strickland Funeral Home in Caldwell – 530 TX-36, Caldwell, TX 77836. A memorial service will immediately follow at 1:00 pm concluding with a graveside burial. In Betty’s bright spirit, men are asked to dress casual for summer, and ladies are asked to celebrate her life in petal pushers (capris)! In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Pallbearers will be Henry Borchard, Chase Brod, Kevin Deubner, Sedrick Jones, Les Lehrmann, Phillip Mataway and Brandon Novosad.