Obituary: Edna Louise (Walter) Jones
Edna Louise (Walter) Jones was born at home on April 13, 1930, in rural Ringgold County, Iowa. She died peacefully at Clearview Homes in Mount Ayr, Iowa on June 17, 2026, at the age of 96 years, 2 months and 4 days closing a remarkable life shaped by grit, devotion and quiet strength. Born during the Great Depression as the only daughter among seven brothers to Everett and Bessie (Bryan) Walter, she learned early how to hold her own, work hard, and meet life’s challenges with steady determination.
Edna attended country school near Caledonia. She was only 12 years old when she experienced the heartbreaking death of her mother. The younger Walter siblings were taken in by families of their friends. Edna was welcomed as one of their own into the home of Lola and Truman Dulany. It was there she experienced the love of foster sisters Darlene (Irving) and Dorothy (Stull) and the wonderful love of Lola, whom she always referred to as “Mom” Dulany.
At the Mt. Ayr High homecoming game in 1947 she was crowned Homecoming Queen. Soon after graduation in 1948, Edna married her handsome classmate, Jim Jones, on June 12. They began their married life in Bedford, Iowa, living in the Garland Hotel on Main Street. After a short stay in Bedford, Edna and Jim put down roots on a farm south of Blackmore Corner where they raised three children, Steve, Barry and Kathy. Edna embraced the life of a farmer’s wife working alongside Jim.
In 1960, at a time when few mothers worked outside the home, Edna stepped into the workforce to help support her family. She began a career that spanned 35 years at Rideta Electric Cooperative. Edna and Jim rarely missed a sporting or other school event their children and grandchildren were involved in. For many years, she was involved with many musical clubs including Choral Club and Ringgold Singers. She was a member of the church choirs and sang for countless funerals and weddings. Edna loved to bowl, she loved to golf, and she really loved the road trips to the “boat” with her friends. Above all, she loved the fellowship that came with all of those activities. She always said she would rather “wear out than rust out.”
Active in both the Methodist Church in Ellston while on the farm and First Christian Church in Mount Ayr after she and Jim moved to town, she lived her beliefs through service, through song and through the way she cared for others. After Jim’s death, Edna served a hostess at Small Corral for Don and Edna Small for several years and returned to help out at REC by running the front office when needed. Edna reconnected with an old high school friend, Bob Bryant, and, along with Gerold and Jean Willey, they enjoyed spending the winter months in South Padre Island for 16 years.
Edna moved to Clearview Assisted Living in the fall of 2019. She resided there until March of this year when failing health necessitated a move to Clearview Nursing Home.
Edna was preceded in death by her husband, Jim, her parents, her long-time companion, Bob Bryant, her in-laws, Owen Zell and Bessie Jones Perry, all seven brothers and their spouses; Lyle, Jerry (Beulah), Doyle, Raymond (Barb), Glenn (Joyce), Richard (Barbara) and Bob (Margie), brother and sister in-law Bill and Alice Mae Johnston, her daughter-in-law, Jean Jones, two granddaughters, Jamie Jones Boos and Keely Brianne Rinehart as well as several nieces and nephews.
Edna is survived by her children, Steve Jones, Barry (Katy) Jones and Kathy (Lynn) Rinehart, her grandchildren Justin (Teena) Jones, Korbie Rinehart, Tanner (Tess) Rinehart, Stephanie (Cody) Knop, Megan (Charlie) Weber, Anna (Ryan) Squier, and Shane Boos. She will be missed by her 20 great grandchildren MaKayla, MaKenna, Derek and Makel Jones, Will, Abby, Megan and Alexa Boos, Joelle and Tatum Knop, Sully and Keely Powell, Clyde, Ike and Quinn Rinehart, Josie, Kendall and Zach Weber and Jaxyn and Madison Squier. Edna was looking forward to becoming a great-great grandmother in a few weeks.
Others who will fondly remember her are members of the Dulany family, Patti and Cecil Dolecheck, Alice Doolittle, and Joe Powell.
Services were held 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 22, 2026, at the First Christian Church in Mount Ayr. Pastor Terry Roberts officiated, and Korbie Rinehart read memories. Ginny Eighmy, Terry Roberts, and Mike Greene provided the special music. Casketbearers were Justin Jones, Derek Jones, Tanner Rinehart, Cody Knop, Charlie Weber, and Ryan Squier. Honorary Casketbearers were Edna’s grandchildren and great grandchildren. Burial followed in the Rose Hill Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established for the First Christian Church. Armstrong Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
