Jones, Fanny

JONES

Posted By: Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer
Date: 6/30/2019 at 19:39:50

FANNY JONES

It is interesting to note the many different characteristics which go to make up personalities. Quite often we discover in certain people, probably friends we have known for years, some hidden trait of character we did not realize they possessed; and then with others, who are probably more impulsive or spontaneous by nature, whose ever action is so much in the open, it seems we sense instinctively and instantly just what their reaction will be, even under the most unusual circumstances.

A character similar to the one last mentioned was typical of Fanny Jones, who will undoubtedly be well remembered by most of the older residents of Lamoni. She was one of the impulsive kind, who wasted no time in getting into action whenever she considered the occasion demanded. She was the wife of Daniel Jones and the mother of a family of four children, and though the responsibilities of the home demanded no little amount of her time and energy, she still found time to assume many additional responsibilities which were of benefit to the community as a whole.

Perhaps it was the case of a little girl in the community who had suddenly become orphaned, that gave so many people cause for concern; and while others hesitated and debated the proper method of procedure, Fanny Jones appeared upon the scene and without further delay took the child home with her, where she gave her a home for several months; and had not relatives of the child later arranged for her care she probably would have been provided a permanent home in the Jones household. Perhaps it was in the home of a widow, the mother of several small children, who became suddenly ill, and when neighbors came into the home they found the children hungry and the family larder empty. In no time Fanny Jones was at the head of a relief party, which in a remarkably short time had an adequate supply of provisions as well as a doctor and a nurse on the job. Perhaps it was in the home of a neighbor whose home had been visited by the angel of death; and here, again, was Fanny Jones giving, working – performing any task that seemed necessary, even though its performance demanded activity from cellar to garret. And serving in any capacity, from doing the family washing to arranging details for the funeral service, wherever she saw an opportunity for service she gave freely and to the best of her ability.

While I can personally vouch for the authenticity of the incidents numerated above, and many, many more of a similar nature resulting to the credit of this good woman, one of the most cherished recollections of her is of my own personal experience, and one that will always remain very near to my heart.

My mother was a widow, who endeavored to care for her family on an allowance entirely inadequate to provide the extras that are often desired beyond a bare living. At that time several of the boys about my age were taking up the study of musical instruments, and of course I was desirous of joining this activity – desired it, I thought, more than anything in the world. I had picked around on the instruments belonging to some of my friends until I had developed a haphazard sort of technique which enable me to produce some semblance of a tune, and one day Mrs. Jones heard my strumming away on the instrument belonging to her son.

“You should have an instrument of your own,” she suggested, after she had complimented me upon my accomplishment. “Then you could practice whenever you cared to and perhaps someday you might become a musician.”

The reply I gave her was probably an evasive one, for it seemed to me that the possibility of really owning an instrument of my own was entirely out of the realm of possibility.

“You have a paper route,” she suggested, “perhaps you could pay a little out of your proceeds from it toward an instrument.”

“I think I could,” I replied, gaining encouragement from her apparent interest and intention to help me. “But I am not sure that I could pay more than ten cents a week.”

“Then we will see that you get the instrument,” she said conclusively, and the bargain was completed without further adieu.

The instrument came in due time, and for me there opened a new world of activity; and I paid her ten cents a week until I had paid the entire amount – five dollars and forty cents. I have owned many musical instruments since that day, some very fine ones, but no one of them brought the thrill that came with the little gourd-shaped mandolin, the thought of which will always bring a flood of precious memories, including visions of a white-haired lady – a friend who really proved to be a real friend throughout life.

With Fanny Jones, neatness of dress was not a matter of prime importance. If the occasion demanded she could put on her dress-up clothes and mingle at ease among those who considered fashion an essential element; and in her time she did no little amount of entertaining, but it was not in this environment that she appeared at her best. I like to think of her on some of her missions of mercy or on some of her friendly calls about the neighborhood, probably wearing one of her husband's old coats for added warmth and one of his old flt hats, which probably covered her snow-white hair, though its position bore evidence of anything but precise adjustment. To see her dressed in this fashion was not at all uncommon in our neighborhood, and it gave one the impression he had hastily snatched up any article of clothing that came handy in order to reach her objective with as little delay as possible.

My mother often expressed it thus: “Fanny is never satisfied unless she can be where the pot boils the thickest.” And this expression seemed to fit her exactly. She was a woman of action, who let no obstacle deter her from her desired objective. She assumed a leading part in many projects of a civic nature, and her support in the interest of any project was assurance of its success. The portable bandstand, which has served at all forms of celebrations over a long period of years, is one of the remaining evidences of her energy, as she headed the committee which raised the funds and supervised the building of it.

Her interests were always with the youth of the community and their development, and it was this interest which prompted her to present to Graceland College the Franklin D. Jones memorial scholarship in honor of her son. The purpose of this scholarship was to assist young people of Lamoni to obtain a college education, who themselves were not in a position to meet the financial obligations involved. This award was the beginning of Graceland's scholarship fund, which has grown with the years, and as the loans are repaid eventually by the students, it has become a perpetual revolving source of benefit to many hundreds of students, who without its aid would have been unable to attend college. And while many individuals have assisted in this worthy cause to build the fund to where it is today, yet to Fanny Jones goes the credit of being the first to establish a definite fund for this specific purpose, and who started the ball rolling which has gained momentum with the passing years.

As might be said of all of us, Fanny Jones probably had her faults. But there are so many good things that can truthfully be said of her that petty criticisms sink into insignificance in comparison. She was truly a diamond in the rough, with a heart of gold, and whose interests and sympathies were always with the underdog; and who would willingly give her last dollar or last ounce of energy to any cause she felt deserved it.

The world today needs people like Fanny Jones – men and women who are not content with merely talking about how things should be done to make a better world, but who are willing to back their belief with vigorous action and thereby insure that good will be accomplished. She was a woman who loved and was loved by her family and friends and once she became your friend you never doubted her loyalty. She was a good neighbor, a worker and a fighter for the principles she believed right – a dynamic and unforgettable personality in Lamoni's passing parade.