Mary "Ruth" (Tackett) Jones was reunited in heaven with her long-departed husband, Emil Jones, on December 21, 2020, at the age of 89. Although we could not be with her, she passed peacefully in her sleep, wrapped in our love.

Even while battling Alzheimer's disease and COVID-19, our mom never lost her spunk or sense of humor. Having never traveled outside of her native Enterprise, Kentucky, she saved her meager earnings and bought bus tickets to follow her sweetheart more than once across the country by herself, first to Richmond and later to Ft. Rucker, Alabama, in 1952 with a newborn baby in her arms.

She worked at Richmond State Hospital and owned the Spud Nut doughnut shop, where she made the best biscuits and gravy. She loved to travel and visited the holy lands of Israel, Egypt, and Greece, along with Brazil, Mexico, and the Caribbean. She couldn't wait for the pandemic to be over so she could "go somewhere."

She is survived by five children, Deborah (Vaughn) Ray of New Paris; Avis Jones Frame of Liberty; Danny Ray (Mollie) Jones of Middletown, OH; Linda Moore of Jonesville, MI; Jennifer (Eder) Santos of Celebration, FL; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and one brother, Dan Estile (Buck) Tackett of Enterprise, KY., nieces and nephews

Private graveside services will be held at the convenience of the family at Crown Hill Cemetery in Centerville, with Rev. Joel McIntyre officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Alzheimer's Association 50 East 91st Street #100 Indianapolis, Indiana 46240. Stegall-Berheide-Orr Funeral home is handling arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the family via the guest book at stegallberheideorr.com.