Sue Jones

1928 - 2022

CONWAY - Virginia Sue Osment Jones, 93, was born Sept. 13, 1928, on a farm near Macey, the youngest of nine children of Thomas Elmer and Mary Isabella "Mamie" Foster Osment, and died Sept. 11, 2022, at her daughter's home in Conway.

When Sue was one year old, her family moved to Jonesboro, where she grew up. Her childhood was marked by the care of a large and loving family, the experience of the Great Depression and participation with her family in the life of Fisher Street Methodist Church.

Following her graduation from Jonesboro High School in 1946, a group of local church leaders who saw her potential pooled the money for her to matriculate at Hendrix College. She graduated with a degree in speech in 1950.

Sue spent two years as director of Christian Education at First Methodist Church, Blytheville, before returning to Conway in a similar position at First Methodist Church.

On Dec. 16, 1956, she married Frank Jones, with whom she shared 58 years of marriage and an extremely devoted life partnership. Their life together moved with his ministry in the Methodist Church, with appointments in Fayetteville, Eureka Springs and Van Buren in Arkansas and Springfield, Brookfield, Carthage and Blue Springs in Missouri.

While their three children were young, Sue devoted herself fully to her family. In her early 40s, Sue returned to school to earn her graduate degree. She then worked as a speech pathologist for more than 25 years in Missouri public schools, private practice and supervising student clinicians at the University of Central Arkansas.

In 1993, Sue and Frank "retired" and returned to Conway, where they took great joy in renewing relationships with friends from their college years, enjoyed the freedom to travel and spend more time with family, and otherwise flourished in a new chapter of life.

Sue is remembered as a person who shared her love generously with her family and friends, who consistently practiced the disciplines of her faith, who found pleasure in bringing people together and preparing food for those who gathered in her home, and who enjoyed maintaining beautiful flower beds and decorating her home for each holiday season.

Sue and Frank were proud to establish an endowed scholarship at Hendrix College and to know that their three children all attended Hendrix and met their spouses there. Sue welcomed each of her children's spouses as one of her own.

Sue was preceded in death by her parents, her eight siblings, and her husband, Frank.

She is survived by her children, Rock (Melissa Lollar) of Delaware, Ohio, Brick (Dana Corn) of Austin, Texas, and Pebble (David) Sutherland of Conway; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Sue's life will be at 10 a.m. Oct. 15 at First United Methodist Church, Conway. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to First United Methodist Church or to the Frank and Sue Osment Jones scholarship fund at Hendrix College.