Gloria Jones

Gloria Ann Jones

Gloria Ann Jones passed away on November 10, 2023, in Boise, Idaho, after briefly relocating from her home in Twin Falls, where she had lived since 1973. 

Gloria was born on April 6, 1938, in Imperial, Nebraska, to Marvin Woodrow Dixon and Violet Ida Lorraine Dixon (Stevens-Brown). She moved to Twin Falls in 1947 and graduated from Twin Falls High School in May 1956.

Gloria recently wrote of her time in the military saying, “My family didn’t have money for college. After looking for a job and finding none, a friend of my mother suggested I go into the women’s military. In those days, the boys, upon graduation, had to go into the military, but I didn’t know a thing about women serving. I went to a recruiter in town and found out about it, and that sounded very exciting—travel and a job(!). I entered the women’s military/the United States Air Force on June 17, 1956, and served until May 1961. I met women from all over the United States. I was never in a war. I trained to be a Communications Operator (that’s like Western Union). We received and sent messages around the world. I loved the job, and the Air Force allowed me to travel. I was in Texas, Wyoming, and Texas again, and then I was sent to Wiesbaden, Germany. While there, I spent two weeks in England. That was exciting! I flew down and back on a military airplane. It was like hitching a ride and called a hop. We had to sit in “bucket” seats and wear a parachute! The seat was metal, and the back of the seat was your parachute. When I went to Germany in 1958... I earned two medals while in the service. I never received a Purple Heart or anything like that.” 

While in Germany, Gloria met and married Richard Sidney Jones. They were married in Basel, Switzerland, in November 1960. In May 1961, she got out of the military because she was pregnant with their daughter, Holly.  

Richard and Gloria were transferred many times with the Air Force, including to Fort Lee in Petersburg, Virginia. When Richard was stationed in Tok Junction, Gloria again lived in Twin Falls with their daughter, Holly, her mother, and stepfather, Jake Stevens. Richard and Gloria were then transferred to Fort Worth, Texas. While there, their daughter Julie was born. From there, they moved back to Germany, where Richard was assigned to Sembach Air Force Base near Kaiserslautern. In 1970, Richard was again reassigned, to Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in Grandview, Missouri. In 1973, Richard retired from the Air Force, and they moved to Twin Falls where they have lived since.  

Gloria worked in banking for 35 years. She was a member of the Catholic Church and had been involved with Job’s Daughters and Eastern Star. She enjoyed cooking, sewing (especially quilts), reading, and puzzles.

Gloria is survived by her daughter, Holly Dean, and her husband, Larry; their children, Nicole Romano and Marc Brewster and his wife, Alice; and daughter, Julie Huerta and her husband John; and their children, Sidney, Dante, Aubrie, Slatter, Paige, Addison, and Dawson.

She is also survived by great-grandchildren Anthony Romano, Arianna Romano, Ajay Romano, and John Hudson Huerta; sister Janean Stocker and her children Ralph Stocker and Janelle Larsen and her husband, Larry; brother-in-law Jim Clark (Pam) and his children LeAnn (Kevin) Carreno and Doug Clark and his wife, Raelean; and many other nieces and nephews. 

Gloria was predeceased by her husband of almost 63 years, Richard (who passed away on September 20, 2023), her parents Marvin Dixon and Violet Brown, stepfathers Jake Stevens and Floyd Brown, her sister Shirley Clark, brother-in-law Dick Stocker and great-grandson Brandon Hayes Huerta.

A memorial mass will be held at 11:00am on Wednesday, November 29, at St. Edward’s Catholic Church, 161 6th Ave E., in Twin Falls, Idaho. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial 

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