insideDP.com

Rev. Joseph Henderson Jones, 90, passed away Monday, September 28, 2009.

He was born on April 11, 1919 in Forney (Kaufman County) Texas to Joseph and Rose Jones. He graduated from Forney High School in 1936, and then received his associate's degree at North Texas Agricultural College in Arlington in 1939. He would later earn his bachelor's degree from North Texas State Teacher's College in 1944 in Denton. Having felt the call of the Lord to serve in the ministry, he went to seminary at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas earning his bachelor of divinity degree. He was then ordained as a deacon in the ministry in 1948, and as an elder in 1949.

He met his beloved wife Johnnie while she was attending John Tarleton Junior College in Stephenville, Texas while he was serving as the director of the school's Wesley Foundation. They were married on August 13, 1949 in DeLeon, Texas. He decided to serve his country having joined the Air Force as a chaplain in 1950, and was deployed to Pusan, South Korea for two years. He continued his Air Force career as a reserve status chaplain. After returning from South Korea, Joe and Johnnie were stationed at many Air Force bases across the United States, including New York, Maine, Louisiana, and finally home to Texas after his active duty service was completed.

They began to start a family with the birth of their first child Dale (Randy), to be followed by four more children, Nancy, Stephen, Scott, and Jennifer .Joe was called to serve many churches during his ministry in the Methodist Church including Copperas Cove, South Main (Houston), Crosby, Winnie, St. Andrews (Houston), Deer Park, Tomball, Cypress-Fairbanks, as well as an appointment as the Director for the Board of Global Missions for the Texas Annual Conference in Houston. Many church members and friends have commented that what made Joe a special man of faith was that he lived and breathed what he believed. He was always an example of servitude to his congregations not only through his leadership of churches, but even more importantly of serving his members during their time of need. He would often get up at the crack of dawn to be with a member's family for an operation at a local hospital and be there to pray with them before they went into surgery. He would travel great distances to help anyone who called on him if they needed his help, no matter the cost, the time, nor the effort.

He continued to serve in his retirement years as an associate pastor at Deer Park Methodist and substituting for local pastors from the pulpit, officiating at weddings, funerals and baptisms. He also served as a weekly visitor to patients at the Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center for the Chaplain's Office up until the last year of his life. He also provided for his family of five children and his wife by serving not only as a minister to the local Methodist church, but also as a reserve U.S. Air Force Chaplain for 30 plus years proudly serving the country he loved. He shared that love of God and country with his family by sharing his testimony of his service in South Korea and helping those in that country. He often would attend his grandson Zachary's school for their yearly Veterans' Day ceremony still able to fit in his Air Force uniform.

He also shared a love of sports with his family and friends having grown up playing tennis. He shared this love with his son Scott and daughter Jennifer with whom he would often play and beat on a regular basis, as well as playing against other Methodist ministers who also enjoyed the sport. He loved watching sports on TV, especially the local Houston teams such as the Houston Rockets, Astros, the University of Houston Cougars, and the former Oilers. He continued his support of local teams even in his later years of life.

As a man of faith, he was most devout in his love for the Lord and the church, his family, and his country, but he was a most devoted family man enjoying many family reunions with his sister and her family, as well as the extended family of his wife and her brothers and sister. He was a great friend and confidante to those who were lucky to call him friend. He will be missed by the many whose lives he touched in his many years serving the church, but know he is at peace and rest with his Lord and with his beloved spouse, Johnnie, and son, Scott.

Joe is preceded in death by his faithful wife of 60 years, Johnnie Mae (Lightfoot) Jones, son, David (Scott) Jones, mother, Rose Enas Jones, and father, Joseph Henderson Jones, Sr., and sister Elisabeth Jones Downer. He is survived by sons, Dale (Randy) Jones of Pasadena and Stephen Jones of Deer Park; daughters Nancy Allen and husband Russell Allen of Deer Park, and Jennifer Rhea and her husband Tim Rhea of College Station; grandchildren, Lauren Jones and Zachary Allen, both of Deer Park; sister, Frances McCleskey of Tyler, as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

Visitation was at Grand View Funeral Home, 8501 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, Texas on Sunday, October 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The funeral service was at Deer Park United Methodist Church, 1300 East 13th Street, Deer Park, Texas on Monday, October 5 at 10:00 a.m. Interment immediately following the service at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, 6900 Lawndale Street, Houston, Texas. Following the burial, the family received visitors at a reception at the church. In lieu of flowers or plants, the family requests that donations be made in Joe's memory to Deer Park United Methodist Church or to The Methodist Hospital, 6565 Fannin Street, Houston, Texas 77030.

~