William Mansell Jones

William “Trieber” Mansell Jones, 82, of Cabot, AR passed away on November 15, 2025, after a prolonged illness.

Trieber was born on a hot day in Mineola, TX on September 14, 1943, to Thomas Mansell Jones and Alta Alice Wren Jones. The family lived in Texas until Trieber was four when they relocated to Olmstead, AR.

He loved to tell stories about his childhood while growing up in the big old house in Olmstead where he had many happy years. Trieber attended Bayou Meto Elementary, then Sylvan Hills High School until they moved to the Cabot area, and he transferred to Jacksonville High where he graduated in 1961. He attended Harmony Baptist Church in his early years and became a member of Zion Hill Baptist Church in 1961 after the move.

Trieber worked extremely hard to put himself through college by doing odd jobs and working at a meat packing plant on the night shift while he attended Arkansas State Teacher’s College (now University of Central Arkansas). He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and went on to be a teacher. While teaching, he also supplemented his income by driving a bus and frequently transported the football team or band or his classes on fun field trips, which sometimes included his own children. He somehow managed to earn a master’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas while working full-time and being a husband and father. He loved to tell his students that he was a “rapper”. They would get a kick out of his eventual explanation that he had actually been a “wrapper” of meat at the plant. His sense of humor was subtle and clever, and he loved to joke around. He taught adult education on the Little Air Force Base from 1968-1973, he taught World History, World Culture, Psychology, and Humanities at Jacksonville High School from 1967-1994 where he served as department head, he kept busy teaching summer school English at North Pulaski High School for many years, and from 1995-2015 he feel in love with teaching at the college level at the Arkansas State University-Beebe. When asked if he ever wanted to be an Administrator, he said he simply loved teaching and wanted to do that for as long as he could. He truly loved his students and his profession.

Trieber married the love of his life, Brenda, on July 3, 1970, and went on to have three children and eight grandchildren. According to Chris, they stopped at three because they finally got it perfect. They settled in the Cabot area and stayed close to family throughout their marriage. She stayed by his side and took great care of him. He loved his parents very much and was sad to lose his father when he was a very young man. He held his mother in extremely high regard, and he once said she was his greatest inspiration. She became the breadwinner of the family due to his father’s illness, and he said “she worked outside the home, at home, and went without to feed and clothe her family. She did this without complaining.” She also loved to read and was very encouraging to him to continue his education. He lived his life with her example in mind and never complained about the sacrifices he made to provide for his family. He worked multiple jobs and always kept a huge garden to help feed the family.

Trieber loved cars and visiting car shows and museums and was talented at fixing them, as well. He loved wearing his favorite hats, and was a big animal lover, even adopting and doting on the most scraggly and needy dogs and cats and helping them feel loved and adored. He was an avid reader and worked to instill a love of reading and education in his children and grandchildren, as well as his many students. It was impossible to go anywhere without running into one of his former students or coworkers. On outings, he frequently struck up conversations and could tell delightful stories. He made friends easily, was well-loved and respected, and had a gentle, caring way that made everyone feel comfortable and accepted. He made the world a better place, and he was loved so much in return. He will be greatly missed.

Trieber was preceded in death by his parents, his granddaughter, Morgan Hope Cook, and his brother, James “Tuffy” Edward Jones.

He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Brenda Darlene (Phillips) Jones, his daughter, Natalie Gayle Cook (Dale), his sons, Kenneth “Kent” Thomas Jones (Gina) and Christopher Monroe Jones; his grandchildren, Brandon Thomas Jones, Allison Christine Cook Knepper (Joel), Kindall Taylor Jones, Kirsten Paige Jones, Evan Monroe Jones, Madelyn Grace Cook, and Ella Kae Jones; his sister, Alice Driskill (Vernon) and sister-in-law Arlene Jones; nieces and nephew, Rose Vines (Lanny), Danny Driskill (Danita), Deb Douglas (Dave); great nephews Jason and Justin Vines, Blake Driskill (Katie), Jeremy Gwin (Noelle), Caleb Gwin and Elijah Gwin (Vanessa), as well as many great-great nieces and nephews and step-nieces and step-nephews, Ryan, Dean, Abby, Brice, Kristen, Daniel, Karleigh, Kaycee, Connor, Trevor, Liam, Cadence and Athea, and a host of other family members.

He is also survived by his extended family whom he loved dearly and with whom he had very close relationships, including sisters-in-law, Lisa Phillips and Kimberly King (Russell), nieces and nephews, who knew him as “Uncle Trieb” or considered him their “Paw Paw” or “Poppa”, Matthew Healy (Dana), Anabelle and Lincoln Healy, and Samantha and Lauren King.

The family would like to express deep gratitude to the staff at Crestview Senior Living in Cabot and Gentiva Hospice for their excellent care and compassion.

Services will be held at Zion Hill Baptist Church, 11923 Zion Hill Road, Cabot, AR 72023 on Saturday, November 22, 2025. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. Funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. with graveside at Sumner Cemetery immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/get-involved-now/donate or to the American Heart Association at https://pages.heart.org/honor-memorial-lp .