Audrey Jean Jones

Audrey Jean Jones, a 6 year resident of Kennewick, WA, passed away August 29, 2014.Audrey was born October 18, 1921 in Hoquiam, WA to George and Viola Brault. She had an older brother Robert and an older sister Betty. Her father was bookkeeper for a tugboat company and former Mayor of Hoquiam. Her mother, a homemaker and WWII Post Mistress was very active in the First United Presbyterian Church of Hoquiam. At 92 Audrey was still talking of Hoquiam’s football rivalry with Aberdeen.

Audrey graduated from Hoquiam High School, Grays Harbor Junior College, and Whitworth College. After getting her degree she taught in LaCrosse, WA and Shelton, WA. In 1945 she married Edgar Verle Jones of Pomeroy, WA. After WWII they moved to Pullman for Verle to complete his Pharmacy studies at WSU. While there Audrey worked on campus and became a lifelong Cougar.

After Verle’s graduation they moved to Bellingham, WA. In 1949 daughter Barbara was born. Later the family moved to Blaine, WA where Verle was a partner in the Blaine Drug Store and later to Ferndale, WA where they owned the Evergreen Pharmacy. Audrey was a homemaker while in Bellingham and Blaine and then was bookkeeper and clerk at the Evergreen Pharmacy. She was active in the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce, serving as President in 1983, and named Woman of the Year for Ferndale in 1985.

Audrey’s faith in the Lord was the center of her life. She was active in various churches as she moved and was a member of the Birch Bay Bible Community Church. Audrey enjoyed hand stitchery and crafts. She made hundreds of egg shell ornaments and no evergreen cone was safe from being turned into some kind of decoration. The big love of her life was her grandchildren Becky and Paul. She supported them in all they did and bragged about them to anyone who would listen.

When Audrey made up her mind there was no stopping her. When she was 83 she decided she was going to take part in the Birch Bay Polar Bear Swim and she did, winning the prize for oldest participant. Audrey was an avid walker. After Verle retired she got him involved too. Some of their best memories were meeting good friends for coffee on their daily walks to the Ferndale Bakery or Haggens.

After Verle’s death Audrey moved to Kennewick, WA, to be near Barbara. We are thankful for the friends she made there and for the caring staff, at both the Manor at Canyon Lakes and at Legacy Cottage.

Audrey is survived by her daughter Barbara and husband Alan Grasher of Kennewick, WA; Granddaughter Becky and husband Duane Oehlwein of Davenport, WA; Grandson Paul and wife Christina Grasher of Marysville, WA; and Great Granddaughter Stacy Oehlwein of Davenport, WA. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Verle Jones, her parents, her brother and sister.