Valencia Machree (Casey) Jones, 88, McCracken, died Wednesday, May 11, 2016, at Locust Grove Village, LaCrosse. She was born Nov. 10, 1926, in Forsyth, Missouri, to Ralph and Pauline Casey. She married Thayne W. Jones, Jan. 31, 1952, in Forsyth, and soon after marriage she joined her husband, serving in the U.S. Army in occupied West Germany, where they completed their honeymoon in the Bavarian Alps.
After discharge, she lived with her husband in Columbia as he completed his degree in Journalism at Missouri University. She moved with her husband to St James, MO, where they published the weekly St James Journal for three years, until sale of the newspaper to the Rolla Daily News. (Today the paper is published from St. James as the Journal-Leader).
She moved with her husband in 1956 to Raymond, Washington, where he was employed as News Editor of the weekly Raymond Herald and Advertiser. In 1958 they returned to Rush County, joining the Jones family farm business.
Before marriage she had lived with her family in various communities in Missouri, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. She became skilled as a Linotype operator in the days when newspapers were printed from hot cast metal type. She was a member of St. Michaels Episcopal Church in Hays where she had served one term on the church Vestry.
She is survived by her husband of McCracken, her son Thayne Christian, his wife Marites (Tess) and her grandson, Ethan Michael all of Wichita.
She was preceded in death by her brother, Patrick, her parents and two brothers who drowned before their teen years after falling through the ice in Lake Taneycomo, Missouri.
Memorial Services will be 10:00 AM Tuesday, May 17, at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church 2900 Canal Blvd. in Hays. Private family inurnment will take place at a later date in the Casey family Cemetery in Forsyth, MO. Arrangements in care of Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601.
Memorials in her memory may be donated to the McCracken Library or Museum.
Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or emailed to keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com.