Jones, Marjorie 'Petie' Pratt

Marjorie “Petie” Pratt Jones, born Dec. 19, 1914, lived a long and loving life. She died peacefully June 7, 2013, in Tucson, Ariz., in the embrace of her beloved daughter, Linda. Petie was 98. A memorial service will he held at a later date for Petie and her dear daughter, Jolene. Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Born in Washington, Iowa, where her father ran the Fox Motion Picture Theater, she received her nickname “Petie” as an infant. She graduated valedictorian of her senior class in 1932. In June 1936, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA degree from the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts. On March 8, 1939, Petie married her childhood sweetheart and the absolute love of her life, Lester O. Jones. They moved to Cedar Rapids, where Lester died in 1979.

During their 40 years of marriage, they had three beautiful daughters. Their oldest, Janet Sue, was born in 1940 and died in 1954. That same year, their youngest daughter, Jolene Carol, was born. Jolene died in 2010. Her brother, LeRoy Pratt, and sister, Anita Herzer, also proceeded her in death. Her loving grandson, Jeff Winter, died in 2008. Their middle daughter, Linda Diane, lives in Saddlebrooke, Ariz., where Petie lived the last four years of her life.

Petie was a lifetime member of the Iowa Alumni Association, a member of the Anna-Abigail Circle, United Methodist Women's Reading Program, American Association of University Women, Campfire leader, and a charter member of the Iowa Women's Chapter of Duck's Unlimited.

She loved reading and writing letters, literature of all kinds, and worked in St. Paul's library (where she was a member since 1946), from 1981 until 2006. Petie was a nature lover and published poet, writing hundreds of poems, many about her passion for travel, nature, rocks and the Mississippi River. An avid Scrabble player, Petie was still winning games until last year.

She will be remembered as a gifted, strong, and loving mother and friend.

She is survived by her devoted daughter, Linda (Clair) Scott; her nephews, William (Sandi) Weeks and Lee (Suzanne) Pratt; her niece, Patty Mathern; stepgranddaughters, Tracy (Dustin) Spicer-Ehrmann, Beth Estrada, Sheri (Randy) Dvorak, and their families; and her godson, Peter (Sue) Welsh. Left to treasure her memory are her dear friends, Bob Munson and Signe Henderson; The “Smith Girls,” Linda, Kathy, Lorraine, Sarah and Melissa; Stacy and Scott Friauf and their daughters; and Shelly, Scott, Chris and Dan Dorrance, along with many more.

The family is grateful for the compassionate care of Evercare Hospice in Tucson, Ariz., and the loving staff at Heritage Manor.

Memorials may be directed to St. Paul's United Methodist Church general fund in Cedar Rapids or to the family.

Published June 12, 2013 in The Gazette