Block, Upload, Automoderated users, edit, move, protect, rollback
57,799
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 15:
Line 15: + + + + + − Jones was the only child of Benjamin Oliver "Ben" Waller (1900-1944), who died when Greta was five,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Waller&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScnty=1164&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=38107821&df=all&|title=Benjamin Oliver "Ben" Waller|publisher=Old.findagrave.com|accessdate=April 26, 2018}}</ref> and the former Vada B. Pilgreen (1916-2000), who subsequently wed Gerald Lloyd Norman (1917-1979), Jones' stepfather.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Norman&GSfn=Vada&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=76624686&df=all&|title=Vada B. Norman|publisher=Old.findagrave.com|accessdate=April 26, 2018}}</ref> Jones was reared in Farmerville and in [[rural]] Haile, both in Union Parish. She attended Haile Elementary School and graduated from Linville High School in Marion, also in Union Parish, and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She also studied at the Bish Mathis Institute, a business college in Longview, [[Texas]], and Bossier Parish Community College in [[Bossier City]]. She and her husband, Jimmy L. "Jimmy" Jones, whom she met while employed in Sterlington north of Monroe, had three sons and a daughter, the late James H. "Bud" Jones, Richard Kevin Jones and wife Judith of Bastrop in Morehouse Parish, Robert Eric Jones and wife Laurie of Melbourne, [[Florida]], and Frances Kay Jones King and husband, Tim, of McKinney, Texas.<ref name=obit/>+ − −
no edit summary
}}
}}
'''Greta Rosalind Waller Jones''' (March 18, 1939 &ndasgh; April 3, 2018) was a [[Republican Party|Republican]] political activist from [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], [[Louisiana]], who served as the vice chairman of two state commissions during the administrations of [[Governor]]s [[David C. Treen]] and [[Bobby Jindal]].<ref name=ghilburn/>
'''Greta Rosalind Waller Jones''' (March 18, 1939 &ndasgh; April 3, 2018) was a [[Republican Party|Republican]] political activist from [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], [[Louisiana]], who served as the vice chairman of two state commissions during the administrations of [[Governor]]s [[David C. Treen]] and [[Bobby Jindal]].<ref name=ghilburn/>
==Background==
Jones was the only child of Benjamin Oliver "Ben" Waller (1900-1944), who died when Greta was five,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Waller&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScnty=1164&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=38107821&df=all&|title=Benjamin Oliver "Ben" Waller|publisher=Old.findagrave.com|accessdate=April 26, 2018}}</ref> and the former Vada B. Pilgreen (1916-2000), who subsequently wed Gerald Lloyd Norman (1917-1979), Jones' stepfather.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Norman&GSfn=Vada&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=76624686&df=all&|title=Vada B. Norman|publisher=Old.findagrave.com|accessdate=April 26, 2018}}</ref> Jones was reared in Farmerville and in [[rural]] Haile, both in Union Parish. She attended Haile Elementary School and graduated from Linville High School in Marion, also in Union Parish, and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She also studied at the Bish Mathis Institute, a business college in Longview, [[Texas]], and Bossier Parish Community College in [[Bossier City]]. She and her husband, Jimmy L. "Jimmy" Jones, whom she met while employed in Sterlington north of Monroe, had three sons and a daughter, the late James H. "Bud" Jones, Richard Kevin Jones and wife Judith of Bastrop in Morehouse Parish, Robert Eric Jones and wife Laurie of Melbourne, [[Florida]], and Frances Kay Jones King and husband, Tim, of McKinney, Texas.<ref name=obit/>
==Political activities==
Formerly a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], Jones joined the GOP in 1970 and was affiliated with the Ouachita Parish Women's Republican Club, the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women, and the National Federation of Republican Women. During her term as president of the LFRW, she worked to establish the Republican Magnolia Club, the Marion Gore Kurfiss Award, named for a GOP pioneer from [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], who lived from 1905 to 1993, and died on the day of the first inauguration of Democratic [[U.S. President]] [[Bill Clinton]], and the Virginia Morse "Ginny" Martinez Scholarship, named for the Louisiana Republican national committeewoman from 1977 until her death in 1992. While Jones was the LFRW president, twenty-eight Republican women were elected to public office. She was the founding director of "Gal's Golf Classic," a women's tournament supporting Easter Seals. She was a delegate to the 1976 and the 1980 [[Republican National Convention]]s in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], and [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. Governor Treen named her to the Louisiana Tourism Development Commission; Jindal appointed her to the Louisiana Board of Parole. She was also the secretary of the Ouachita Expressway Authority. She conducted numerous Republican leadership, polling, and campaign schools.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=http://obits.theadvocate.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=greta-rosalind-jones-waller&pid=188779394|title=Greta Jones Obituary|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=April 18, 2018|accessdate=April 26, 2018}}</ref>
Formerly a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], Jones joined the GOP in 1970 and was affiliated with the Ouachita Parish Women's Republican Club, the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women, and the National Federation of Republican Women. During her term as president of the LFRW, she worked to establish the Republican Magnolia Club, the Marion Gore Kurfiss Award, named for a GOP pioneer from [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], who lived from 1905 to 1993, and died on the day of the first inauguration of Democratic [[U.S. President]] [[Bill Clinton]], and the Virginia Morse "Ginny" Martinez Scholarship, named for the Louisiana Republican national committeewoman from 1977 until her death in 1992. While Jones was the LFRW president, twenty-eight Republican women were elected to public office. She was the founding director of "Gal's Golf Classic," a women's tournament supporting Easter Seals. She was a delegate to the 1976 and the 1980 [[Republican National Convention]]s in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], and [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. Governor Treen named her to the Louisiana Tourism Development Commission; Jindal appointed her to the Louisiana Board of Parole. She was also the secretary of the Ouachita Expressway Authority. She conducted numerous Republican leadership, polling, and campaign schools.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=http://obits.theadvocate.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=greta-rosalind-jones-waller&pid=188779394|title=Greta Jones Obituary|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=April 18, 2018|accessdate=April 26, 2018}}</ref>
Jones died of [[cancer]] at the age of seventy-nine and donated her body to medical science. A memorial service was to be held on April 28, 2018, at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Monroe. Her honorary pallbearers included a "Who's Who" of local Republican figures: the 5th congressional district nominee in 1975, businessman Frank Spooner; former District Attorney and State Senator Robert William "Bob" Kostelka; current state Senator Michael Arthur "Mike" Walsworth, former [[U.S. Representative]] John Charles Cooksey, and Luke J. Letlow, chief of staff to current U.S. Representative [[Ralph Abraham]].<ref name=obit/>
Jones died of [[cancer]] at the age of seventy-nine. She donated her body to medical science. A memorial service was held at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Monroe. Her honorary pallbearers included a "Who's Who" of local Republican figures: the 5th congressional district nominee in 1975, businessman Frank Spooner; former District Attorney and State Senator Robert William "Bob" Kostelka; current state Senator Michael Arthur "Mike" Walsworth, former [[U.S. Representative]] John Charles Cooksey, and Luke J. Letlow, chief of staff to current U.S. Representative [[Ralph Abraham]].<ref name=obit/>
Letlow recalled in 2003 his taking Jindal to meet with Jones, who told the candidate that she did not think he could win that year in the race against the Democrat [[Kathleen Blanco]] but that Jindal could become a strong contender in subsequent elections. She was right in that prediction. Letlow called Jones "tough as nails."<ref name=ghilburn>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2018/04/03/gop-stalwart-greta-jones-dies/483857002/|title=GOP stalwart Greta Jones dies|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|date=April 3, 2018|accessdate=April 26, 2018}}</ref>
Letlow recalled in 2003 his taking Jindal to meet with Jones, who told the candidate that she did not think he could win that year in the race against the Democrat [[Kathleen Blanco]] but that Jindal could become a strong contender in subsequent elections. She was right in that prediction. Letlow called Jones "tough as nails."<ref name=ghilburn>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2018/04/03/gop-stalwart-greta-jones-dies/483857002/|title=GOP stalwart Greta Jones dies|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|date=April 3, 2018|accessdate=April 26, 2018}}</ref>