Jane E. Jones

Jane Jones, 85, long time resident and co-owner of Jones Sewing Machines and Fabrics of 330 Kelly Street in New Philadelphia died Thursday, November 4 at Hennis Care Centre after a devastating battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Jane was born September 5, 1919 to the late Jacob and Olive (Rhodes) Lafferty, and graduated from New Philadelphia High School in 1937. She married William D. Jones of Strasburg on May 18, 1939 in Emanuel Lutheran Church in New Philadelphia. Bill was the manager of the Singer Sewing Machine stores in New Philadelphia and Dover, and when they were closed during WW II, they moved to Akron to manage the two stores there. After the war, they returned to New Philadelphia and opened a store in the basement of their home at 330 Kelly Street, where Jane resided until her illness. Since new sewing machines were in limited supply, Bill refurbished older ones and Jane baked the new paint on them in her kitchen oven. The store grew after they became the Pfaff distributors for eastern Ohio in the 1950’s. As the business grew, they won a Pfaff sales contest as “best in the USA”, and were presented with a brand new VW van emblazoned with Pfaff logos. They also added a show room and a full line of fabrics and sewing supplies. Jane prided herself in having the highest quality and most unique fabrics in the county. She enjoyed working with her customers, whom she regarded as her friends. After her retirement, Jane loved refinishing wood, especially oak, having refinished all of the oak woodwork in her home and then took on refinishing numerous tables. She prided herself on her perfectly smooth wood finish. Jane loved the ocean, whether walking on the beach in Florida with her daughter, or her favorite spot, enjoying the ocean vistas from the famous Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island, where her son had a home. From the time she was a small girl, she loved animals, especially cats. No matter how tight her budget in the 1950’s, every Friday at the A+P Jane always found a little extra money for chicken liver for her cat, aptly named Pfaff. Jane also loved the Cleveland Indians, and when watching the games on TV, would give them “instructions”. She also enjoyed watching ice skating competitions, and was very pleased to be able to watch and then meet Viktor Petrenko and Ekaterina Gordeeva at their Training facility in Simsbury, Connecticut. Jane was a life time member of Emanuel Lutheran Church and later also became a member of the First Christian Church. Jane was the last of her generation, having been predeceased by her husband William D. Jones, February 6, 1987, and her sisters and brothers-in-law, Pauline (Tom) Morris and Marjorie (Dale) Hurst of New Philadelphia, her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Glenn & Alice (Graef) Jones of Wooster and Walter & Margaret (Jones) Zimmerman of Dover, and one nephew, Robert Jones of Illinois. She is survived by her son William J. Jones of West Springfield, Massachusetts and her daughter and son-in-law Jennifer (James) Amick of Florida, one grandson, James Amick of Dover, one niece, Anne (Hurst) Hall of New Philadelphia, her grand nephew, Edmund Hall of New Philadelphia, and 4 nephews, Lawrence Zimmerman, James Zimmerman, Thomas Jones, and Donald Jones. She is also survived by her best friend and caregiver, Kathryn Klingler of New Philadelphia, and friends Velda Clark of Massillon, Kirby Clegg of West Springfield, MA, Peter Bartini of Longmeadow, MA, and the Clegg family of Massachusetts, who became an extended family to her on her many visits to New England.Friends are invited to call Sunday afternoon from 1 t o 4 PM, and one hour prior to services on Monday in the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory of New Philadelphia. Pastor Jim Borton will officiate Mrs. Jones’ funeral Monday, November 8, 2004 at 11 AM in the funeral home’s chapel. Entombment will follow at East Avenue Cemetery’s Mausoleum. Following the committal service, a meal will be shared in the Geib Family Center, adjacent to the funeral home. The family would like to thank Park Village Assisted Living and the Hennis Care Centre for the wonderful care they provided for Jane during her illness. Contributions in Jane’s memory may be made to Cats & Us, 829 Union Avenue, Dover, OH 44622; First Christian Church, 104 Third St. NW, Box 474, New Philadelphia, OH 44663; Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 202 E. High Ave., New Philadelphia, OH 44663; or the Alzheimer’s Association, Canton Chapter, 4815 Munson St., NW, Canton, OH 44718.