Born July 12, 1939 in Clay Center, KS / Died March 17, 2022 in Tucson, AZ
Daughter of Asahel Burt and Martha Louise (Lovett) Eustace
Married to William Lee Jones on June 2, 1960 in Wakefield Kansas
Lora was preceded in death by her husband Billy on January 22, 1996
They have two sons: Weston William Jones married to Sheri Michelle (Stockton) in Tucson, AZ and Dathan Burt Jones in Stafford, Kansas
Lora is survived by her sons, Sheri, two grandsons and their wives, and eight great grandchildren.
Lora was born and raised in Wakefield, Kansas where she grew up on the family farm down lickety split. She loved sitting on the creek bank, talking with all of her animal friends and collecting turtles. She was the oldest of three children and she is survived by her brother Burt Edwin Eustace married to Linda Sue Bray and her sister Jean Olinda (Eustace) Youngsteadt married to Norman William Youngsteadt, who have a daughter Elsa. Lora graduated from Wakefield High School, where she met Billy and then attended Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia. She excelled in her studies and earned her degree with a double major in Math and Home Economics. It was a time when women didn’t major in Math, but she loved Math and pushed to be a Math major; she was very proud of her accomplishments during her time at Emporia. After graduating from college she married Billy and they moved to Oskaloosa, Kansas where she began her 20+ year teaching career, mostly teaching middle school math. In the 70s Lora developed a love for long distance running and became quite accomplished in the middle distance races in NE Kansas, winning several awards including winning races at the KU Relays. Lora also had a love of art and created many wonderful paintings and drawings over the years. In 1983 Billy and Lora moved to Deerfield, Kansas and she continued teaching middle school math at Holcomb, Kansas. In the early 90s Lora went back to school and earned her degree in nursing. After Billy passed in 1996 Lora began a nearly 20 year career as an RN working for two hospitals in Garden City and Lakin, Kansas where she cared for patients and families in nursing homes. Her Mother, Martha was the example for the loving care that Lora would go on to provide. During Lora’s childhood and through her life Martha was always caring for and loving on an elderly family member or family friends living in the Eustace household.
Later in life Lora enjoyed her travels of the world. She was fortunate enough to travel throughout Europe and the Middle-East. She retired from nursing in 2015 and moved to Tucson Arizona in July of 2016. Here last years were spent sharing love and stories with her friends in Broadway Proper and Ocotillo House. She was able to spoil all of her little great-grandchildren by spending time with them reading and playing.
Lora met and accepted her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Jewish Messiah) as a child and was a faithful follower of Him her whole life. She made sure to introduce Him to her children and many others. She was a lifelong member of the Order of the Eastern Star and United Methodist Women. She was very involved in her Churches, spending many years teaching Sunday School. In her last days, she was holding onto Him and repeated Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want! She went to his loving, pierced hands at 1:15 in the morning on March 17, 2022.
There is no more pain, there is no more suffering and there are no more tears…She is at peace and she is Home.
Services are planned for Thursday, June 2 in Wakefield Kansas.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Lora Eustace Jones Mathematics Teacher Scholarship at Emporia State University, administered by the ESU Foundation, 1500 Highland St., Emporia, KS 66801.
Arrangements are in the care of the Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home, 918 7th Street, Clay Center, KS 67432 (785) 632-3113.