Julia Ann Jones

With more wives moving back into the workforce, the economy continued to grow in 1954. The popular TV shows, "Father Knows Best" and "The Tonight Show" aired, and popular movies "White Christmas", "On the Waterfront" and "The Wild One" hit theaters. Elvis Presley cut his first commercial record and the movie "Blackboard Jungle" featured the song "Rock Around the Clock" from Bill Haley and the Comets. A new trend also started called DIY, Do It Yourself projects as families wanted to improve their homes and do their own maintenance. The mass vaccination of children against polio began, relieving stress for many families with children or expecting children. During this time, Richard and Maxine E. (Teusch) Mullendore were happy to announce the birth of their first child, Julia Ann on August 2, 1954 in Columbia City, Indiana.

Julia and her four younger siblings, Cheryl, Richard, Linda and Edward grew up in Columbia City. She helped take care of her siblings, enjoyed playing in the Girls Junior League Basketball and learned to sew at a young age. She became quite talented sewing over the years and made her own prom and wedding dress along with making other ladies dresses. During her time at Columbia City Joint High School, Julia fell in love Ronald L. Jones. The high school sweethearts dated through high school and after Julia graduated in 1972 and Ron in 1973, they were married on November 10, 1973 at Zion Lutheran Church.

The young couple made Columbia City home and welcomed two children into their hearts, Chad and Jenna. Julia had started her work career during high school, working at Whitley Community Hospital. She then worked a few local department stores before getting a job with Alcoils, where she did electrical coil winding. She would work for over 35 years, retiring under the ownership of Warner Electric in 2017 due to her health.

She was loving, positive, honest and strong willed. Julia loved to fish, be out on the boat and bowling on Wednesday Night Ladies League. She and Ron also enjoyed riding their Harley Davison motorcycle and traveling to different places like to the Bean Blossom motorcycle fest, traveling to Tennessee, Wisconsin and even on one 2,500-mile Harley trip over a two week period traveling to New York and seeing Niagara Falls. This adventure she thought was a little too long for her and said she never would do it again, but she still loved being on the back of their motorcycle. As her children were growing up, she also enjoyed family camping.

Christmas was always a favorite of hers and by Thanksgiving time, Julia would find that one radio station that played Christmas music until Christmas Day. She would help fill up sacks with candy that the Columbia City Fire Department would pass out on Christmas Eve.

Unfortunately, on Tuesday, September 24, 2019, Julia Ann Jones, 65 years old, passed away at 3:38 p.m. at her home, surrounded by her family after a long battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband, Ron Jones; mother, Maxine Lott; son, Chad (Dede) Jones; daughter, Jenna (Shane) Wagaman; siblings, Cheryl (Lynn) Stanley, Richard Mullendore, Linda (Ronnie) Kidd and Edward Mullendore; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren plus another on the way. She was preceded in death by her father, Richard Mullendore; step-father, Benjamin F. Lott.

A gathering of family and friends will be 2-7 p.m. Friday, September 27, 2019 at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home with Funeral Celebrant Sharon Brockhaus officiating. Burial will follow at Eberhard Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made in her memory to the Columbia City Fire Department's Children Fund. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send her family condolences online.