Billie M. Jones (MSJ48), a reporter, editor and teacher, died Sept. 18, 2019 at the age of 95. She and her husband, Hugh N. Jones, were married for 71 years. Jones, born from generations of coal mining interest developers in Cherokee and Crawford counties, was herself a member of the Miners Hall and Museum in Franklin and contributed to the Miners Park in Pittsburg.

After finishing high school in 1942, she worked on a production line, first making detonators for WWII 150mm anti-aircraft shells and then as an administrative clerk compiling reports from production lines. She later attended the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas and graduated in 1947. During summer vacations, she worked as a reporter for the Pittsburg Headlight and Pittsburg Sun.

In 1948 she received a master’s degree from Medill in and for the next two years was a reporter for the Metropolitan Section of the Chicago Tribune. In 1950 she retired to raise a family but she continued to do freelance writing and editing. From 1966 to 1968 she worked as Associate Editor of the Scarsdale Inquirer, a weekly New York newspaper, and from 1969 to 1971 was a Public Information Officer for the Center for Urban Education in New York City. After receiving teaching and supervising credentials from the City College of New York she began her 25 years of work as a teacher and administrator for the New York City public schools.

Besides her husband, survivors include her children, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/morningsun/obituary.aspx?n=billie-m-jones&pid=194093547