Obituaries: Mary Irene Jones

KIRKLAND – A long-time resident of the Long Beach Peninsula, Mary “Irene” Jones died in Kirkland on Dec. 29, 2006. She was 80 years old.

Mary Irene LaBreche was born Jan. 19, 1926, in Hartford, Conn. She was raised in Connecticut by her parents Mary Haveron LaBreche and Basil E. LaBreche. She graduated from Ellsworth High School in South Windsor, Conn. in June 1943. From there she attended the St. Agnes Home, School of Nursing where she received a diploma in obstetrics and pediatric nursing in September 1945.

She and her family moved to Portland, Ore., in 1946. She went to work as a nurse at the Waverly Baby Home. She also did private-duty pediatric nursing and loved working with babies and young children.

She met Robert George Jones in 1948 and they were married on April 20, 1949, at St. Stephens Catholic Church in Portland. The couple made their first home in Altoona. They started their family right away and loved their eight children, all of whom are living in Washington and Oregon.

The couple had lived in the Long Beach area since 1971 and had been members of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Seaview since 1955. Mrs. Jones was an active member of the St. Mary’s Altar Society, and in prior years had been an active member of the St. Teresa Club in the Rosburg/Naselle area.

She loved spending time with family, especially her children, grandchildren and her great grandchildren. She was a wonderful mother and truly enjoyed being around her babies. She dearly loved her husband Robert and was very saddened by his loss this past October. They had been best friends for 58 years.

She is survived by two sisters, Margaret Regan of Portland, Ore. and Norma Pence of Richland; a brother, Gerald LaBreche of Seattle; and by her eight children and 16 grandchildren: sons Robert G. Jones Jr. of Warrenton, Ore., Jonathan G. Jones of Stayton, Ore., James A. Jones of Ilwaco and Joseph M. Jones and his wife Rachel of Scotts Mills, Ore.; daughters, Patricia Jones-Woods (partner Dale Welling) of Olympia, Carol Jones Schoenfelder and her husband Tom of Snohomish, Julie Jones Cartwright and her husband Jim of Mount Angel, Ore., and Teresa Jones of Ocean Park; grandchildren, Debra Ann, Michael, Angela, Kelly, Tommy, Mary, Joseph, Andrew, Jonny, Jessica, Lindsey, Tyler, Cassidy, Hailey and Joey; three great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Recitation of The Holy Rosary will be held Saturday, Jan. 6, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 1465 Grand Ave. in Astoria. Funeral Mass follows at 11 a.m. A luncheon will be held in the church hall and graveside committal service will be at Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

Memorial contributions maybe sent to Chinook Nations, P.O. Box 228, Chinook, WA 98614. Arrangements are by Penttila’s Chapel by The Sea, Long Beach, WA. The guest book may be signed at www.penttilaschapel.com.