Genevieve "Gen" Jones

Genevieve Jones, 87, of La Grande, died the morning of Feb. 3 at home with her granddaughter, Kakki Jones, at her side. A memorial service and luncheon will begin at

11 a.m. Thursday at the Bethany Presbyterian Church in Ontario. A memorial dinner was held Feb. 8 at her home.

Mary Genevieve Wheeler was born Feb. 21, 1921, to Maggie and Lee Wheeler in Midvale, Idaho. Gen grew up on a small farm with sisters Leta and Vivian and brother Charles. She enjoyed ice skating on the rivers and ponds and was a standout on the high school basketball team.

She graduated from Midvale High School as valedictorian in 1938. She then attended Lewis and Clark Normal School, graduating with a degree in education in 1940. Following graduation, Gen taught grades one through eight in a one-room school at Happy Hollow, about six miles from Midvale. She later taught grades one to three at Midvale Salem School.

Gen moved to Portland in 1942 to work for the war effort and got a job as a welder in the shipyards. Because of the high quality of her work, she was soon assigned to welding the most critical seams in the ships' hull. Believing that welding was not a very ladylike profession, she rarely spoke about this experience and about the months that she later spent in a sanitarium in the Willamette Valley, recovering from a serious lung disease that resulted from the welding fumes.

In the spring of 1945, a friend introduced Gen to U.S Army Lt. Wallis Jones, who was on leave. Within just a few weeks, Gen and Wally eloped and were married in the U.S. Army post chapel at Hammond General Hospital in Modesto, Calif., on June 20, 1945. They lived briefly in Portland before moving to Wally's hometown of Ontario, where Wally went into business with his father at the Ontario Laundry and Dry Cleaners. Their daughter Suzanne was born in May 1946, and Charles, their son, was born 18 months later in December 1947.

Initially, she worked in the office at the laundry and then began a long career as traffic manager and bookkeeper at radio station KSRV, retiring in 1980.

Gen and Wally spent nearly 60 years together, living life fully, enjoying travel, fishing, reading, dancing, playing bridge and socializing with friends. Once retired, they spent three months each winter in their travel trailer in Chula Vista, Calif., enjoying the sunny weather and expanding their circle of friends. Following Wally's death in June 2005, Gen moved to La Grande where her son Charles lives.

Gen spent the last three years in a new home in La Grande. Her granddaughter Kakki lived with her and was her primary caregiver and dearest friend. Ferris the cat was her faithful companion. Despite emphysema and congestive heart failure, Gen was able to enjoy family vacations on the Oregon Coast twice a year, and in 2007, she made a memorable two-week motorhome trip to visit granddaughter McKenna in Portland, brother Charles Wheeler in Tacoma, and sister Leta Hilty in Bellingham.

In 2008, Gen received recognition for 60 years' membership in Chapter EB of P.E.O. in Ontario.

She is survived by her daughter, Suzi Jones, of Anchorage, Alaska; son, Charles Jones, of La Grande; two granddaughters; sister, Leta Hilty of Bellingham, Wash.; and brother Charles Wheeler of Tacoma, Wash.; and many nieces and nephews. Genevieve Jones was preceded in death by her husband, Wallis Jones, and by her sister, Vivian McClure.

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