Mary
Helen Brandon Jones, born January 15, 1934 to Marvin A Brandon and Eppie Drennan
McBroom Brandon in Louisville, Kentucky.
She was raised in Woodbury, Tennessee.
After graduating from Woodbury Central High, Helen enrolled at Ward
Belmont College in Nashville, Tennessee.
During her time at Ward Belmont it united with the Tennessee
Baptists and became Belmont College, a four year college. Mary Helen Brandon had the distinction of
being the first graduate of the new four year college named Belmont College –
receiving a BA in Education in the spring of 1955. Possibly an omen of things to come, Dr. Baker
James Cauthen of the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention
spoke at her graduation.
While attending Belmont College she was set up on a blind
date with an airman from Sewart Air Force Base in Smyrna, Tennessee. A connection was made and in December 1955
Helen married Donald William Jones. She
taught at Woodbury High School and Central High School in Murfreesboro,
Tennessee while Don went to Middle Tennessee State College to get his BS in
Industrial Arts Education.
While still in Tennessee their first two children were born,
William (Bill) in 1956 and Robert (Bob) in 1958. They moved from Tennessee to Ohio once Don
graduated college and he began his teaching career. While living in Ohio, Rebecca (Becky 1960)
and Brian (1962) were born. During a one
year move to Amarillo, Texas where they taught and were dorm parents at Cal
Farley’s Boys Ranch, their fifth and last child, Elizabeth (Beth 1964) was
born.
Both feeling God’s leading to something different, they were
open to learning about missions work when visited by a missionary(Mike Wilson
and wife, Kitty) whose background was also Industrial Arts Education. They joined Dr. Cauthen and became
missionaries. They left TN in 1968 and
with matching American Tourister suitcases all in a row, they loaded up their
five kids and headed off to East Pakistan to learn the Bengali language and tell
the people there about Christ. After
just three years there, the civil war between East and West Pakistan began and
the Jones family took a furlough and returned to the United States before
relocating to Taichung, Taiwan where they set up residence for the next twenty
five years. Don and Helen both worked at
Morrison Academy, a school for missionary children, and did Bible studies and
English classes in homes and local churches where they could share with the
people of Taiwan about God’s love.
After retiring in 1995, they settled back in Woodbury. They eventually bought a small trailer in
Leesburg, Florida where they spent the winter months; making the trip south in
early November and back to TN in early April.
They visited with their children and grandchildren when possible –
California, Texas, Virginia and Tennessee – and enjoyed their visits when the family got
together in Tennessee. Don passed away
in 2013 and Helen gave up the Flordia trailer, having already had hip surgery
and depending on a walker for getting around.
After several osteoporosis related compression fractures in her back,
she settled in at Woodbury Health and Rehab Nursing Home where she enjoyed
reading, writing, watching tv and visiting with the staff, many of whom were
descendents of old friends from the area.
Being in Woodbury allowed her to have regular visits from her community
and church friends. She also enjoyed occasional
Wednesday outings with one of her kids to O’Charlie’s for some low country
shrimp and free pie.
Though mentally sharp until the end, her body was giving up
on her and after a couple of hospital stays near the end of 2019 she returned
to the nursing home with Alive Hospice helping with her care. She passed on January 7, 2020. She is survived by her children; Bill (Sandy)
Jones, Bob (Penney) Jones, Becky (Jim) Courson, Brian Jones, and Beth (Jesse)
Thomas – her grandchildren; Rachel (Kyle) Courson Swenson, Josh (Meghan)
Courson, and Matt (Toni) Jones – and her great-granddaughters; Sydney Swenson
and Adelaide Helen Swenson who is due any day now.
Helen will be remembered as a caring friend, faithful
correspondent and prayer warrior as well as a loving mom and grandma.
Visitation will be held at First Baptist Church, 405 W. Main
St. Woodbury, TN on Saturday, January 11, 2020 from 1-2:30 pm. Funeral services will follow at 2:30 pm. Pastor Dean Anderson will officiate. Interment will be in Riverside Cemetery. Memorial donations may be given to either the
International Mission Board, SBC or Gideons.
Share thoughts, memories and condolences at www.smithfuneralhomewoodbury.net Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd.
Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337
