Opal Jones, 99, passed away on October 21, 2023, at Eden Care Center in Glen Carbon, Illinois.
Entering this world on the family farm in rural Trigg County, Kentucky, she was the fifth of seven children born to Jesse James and Beulah Shelton Bland. Her siblings, who preceded her in death, were Jesse Franklin, Chester Lee, Ealer Elizabeth, Eva Evangeline, B (only) J (only), and Beulah Louise.
She married Thomas Harold Jones of Alton, Illinois, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on June 12, 1948, and moved north to a foreign land, where she lived amongst Yankees for the rest of her life. With help from her carpenter brother, Chester Lee Bland, she and Thomas built their own house in rural Edwardsville, IL. At this new home, she entertained family, friends, pastors, Sunday School students – and anyone who needed a warm biscuit – for almost seventy years.
Opal was a charter member of the Poag Southern Baptist Mission, which became the First Southern Baptist Church of South Roxana, Illinois (present-day Crosspoint SBC). She was recognized in 2018 for being the longest-living original church member. All of Opal’s “hobbies” were practical and benefitted someone. A skilled professional seamstress, an avid quilter, gardener, and a delicious southern cook, Opal delighted in using her gifts and modest resources to serve others in living a life dedicated to the glory of God. Only eternity will reveal how many people have been blessed by the witness of this God-fearing Christian woman.
Opal is survived by her two children, James Jones and Vera Parkin, and their respective spouses Nessa and Jon. Also surviving are grandchildren Heather Sin, Benjamin Parkin, Rachel Parkin, Andrea Maciejewski, and great-granddaughter Ava Allison.
Two memorials will be held for Opal. The first will be at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, November 11, at Donaldson Creek Baptist Church, 4670 Donaldson Creek Road, Cadiz, Kentucky. After the ceremony, her remains will rest on the old family farm. Despite living her adult life in Illinois, her heart never left her beloved state of Kentucky.
A second memorial service, “Opal’s Homegoing Celebration,” will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at CrossPoint Southern Baptist Church, 4539 Wanda Rd, Edwardsville, Illinois. This memorial will also be live-streamed. A meal will be served following the service; all are welcome.
Memorials can be made to Opal’s home church for several designated projects, including a spring 2024 revival:
CrossPoint Southern Baptist Church
4539 Wanda Road
Edwardsville, IL 62025
