Gladys Jones Obituary

Mrs. Gladys Patterson Jones, age 96, formerly of Calhoun, Georgia, died at John F. Keever Solace Center in Asheville, North Carolina on May 19, 2022 following several years of declining health. Born in Pickens County, Georgia on March 17, 1926, the daughter of the late Arthur Hugh and Lula Belle Carroll Patterson, she moved to Calhoun, Georgia in 1946, shortly before marrying her husband, James Martin (J. M.) Jones. In 1968 they moved to Marietta, Georgia, where she lived for the next fifty years after she and J.M. had resided in Columbus, Georgia, El Paso, Texas, and Fairmount, Georgia. Resourceful and industrious, Gladys first began working during her youth on her father's 160-acre farm in Ludville, Georgia, then as a B-29 riveter with Belle Aircraft in Marietta during World War II, as a chief cook at the restaurant she and J.M. owned in Fairmount, and at several textile mills in Calhoun. Throughout this period she served her family as a full-time homemaker, as a loving mother to her six children, and as a dedicated caregiver to her husband after his service-connected disability. She ended her working career as a sales representative at Rich's Department Store in Marietta after her children were grown, retiring in 1995. Gladys never met a stranger, was revered by those who knew her, and adored by her children and grandchildren, all of whom affectionately referred to her as Granny. She always had a smile on her face and was quick with a laugh or hug. Friends and family often visited her at mealtime, not only to enjoy her down-home cooking, but also to experience her immense love and youthful sense of humor. Pure at heart, she never indulged in alcohol or tobacco, married only once, and was forever faithful to her beloved J.M. A long-time member of Ball Creek Baptist Church in Pickens County, Georgia, she was a devout Christian with a strong faith and belief in a hereafter where she could reunite with her loved ones. In her words, she had hope. In addition to her parents, Gladys was preceded in death by her husband of thirty-six years, J. M. Jones; a son, Roger Jones; two grandchildren, Sarah Alison and Miles Benjamin Smith; five sisters, Lois Carver, Faye Clark, Geraldine Johnson, Odelle Silvers, Ella Patterson, and Annie Ruth Garlin; and five brothers, Luther, Elbert, Arthur Lee, Alfred, and Lloyd Patterson. Survivors include her two daughters: Freida Reaid (Danny) of Asheville, NC, and Paula Smith (Harry) of Marietta, GA; three sons: Marty Jones (Anne) of Cumming, GA; Ron Jones (Sherry) of Simpsonville, SC; and, Rob Jones (Sherry) of Greensboro, GA; thirteen grandchildren, twenty-six great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at Ponders Funeral Home in Calhoun, Georgia at 2:00 PM on May 22, 2022 with Reverend Nathan Smith officiating. Interment will follow in the Pleasant Grove (Ryo) Community Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Ponders Funeral Home in Calhoun from 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM on that day. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.pondersfuneralhome.com. Arrangements by, Ponders Calhoun Chapel 675 Jolly Rd Calhoun GA 30701 www.selectedindependentfuneralhomes.org and www.ogr.org