Barbara Jenkins Jones

Barbara Jenkins Jones

Barbara Jenkins Jones, age 93, passed away Monday December 8, 2025.

Barbara Jenkins was born February 21, 1932 in Thomaston, Ga. to Allen and Essie Jenkins. Her father was a millworker and her mother was a homemaker to their three daughters. Life wasn't easy in the Great Depression and like many in her generation her life was forged by the sacrifice, hard work and frugality of her formative years. Barbara was the youngest daughter and her tomboy interests charmed her father. She talked about how she loved to go fishing with her Daddy down on the Reedy Fork. Just the two of them spending the day together. Something Barbara's two young boys would also do with their Grandaddy several decades later. At some point, the family would move to Greensboro for a job at the Revolution Mill and housing in the Mill Village.

Barbara went to Rankin high school where she not only was a straight A student but was voted the "Prettiest Girl" in her senior class. It was there that she was pursued and courted by her future husband, J Norman Jones. Norman was a football player and drove a school bus to scrounge up the money for date nights. Apparently, on occasion he and his buddy would siphon a little gas out of the school bus to put in their old jalopy so they could double date the prettiest girls in school.

Barbara graduated from Rankin in 1950 (Norman in 1951) but as smart as she was it still wasn't customary for girls in her rural area to go to college so it was off to the working world. Among her jobs, particularly memorable was working in the secretarial pool in the Jefferson Standard tower in downtown Greensboro. She laughed about the young women taking their 30 minute lunch break to tan on the roof of the 17th floor.

Norman spent two years at Appalachian State College but couldn't bear to be apart from Barbara and he came home and they married in 1953. Norman joined the army and they were stationed in several places around the country until Barbara became pregnant in Detroit with their first son James Norman Jones Jr and came back to Greensboro for his birth in 1956. Barbara loved being part of the large Jones family and was especially fond of her mother-in-law, Ruth who treated her like her own. A loving bond that she would also create years later with her own daughters-in-law. Her second son, Stephen Craig Jones followed in 1958.

Norman joined his father's family business, North State Chevrolet and the decades flew by as Barbara made a wonderful home for her boys and Norman continued to build the business. The family were devoted members of Buffalo Presbyterian Church and later first Presbyterian Church. Barbara and Norman traveled the world with Chevrolet and were noted for being wonderful dancers and always closing the party down. Both boys would join North State after graduating from college and eventually run the dealership until selling it in 2004.

After retirement, for two decades Barbara and Norman loved traveling the country in a 40 foot motorhome. Norman passed away in 2015 and Barbara lived in several different residences at WellSpring until her recent passing. Barbara's strength, love and warmth have built a legacy in the family she leaves behind.

She is survived by her sons, Jim Jones and Steve Jones and her daughter-in-law's Susan Jones and Robin Jones; her grandchildren, Brian Jones, Erin and her husband Matt Ondisco, Stacey Jones, Stephanie and her husband Daniel Perkins; great grandchildren, Riley and Logan Ondisco and Evelyn and Ruby Perkins. We send our mother off with her belief that she will rejoin her true love of 62 years and continue their journey together.

The family will have a service at a later date.

Forbis & Dick N. Elm Chapel is assisting the family.