Mary A. Jones

Mary A. Jones, 72, of Pittsfield, Illinois, passed away on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois.

Born on November 8, 1953, in Aledo, Illinois, Mary was the daughter of John Wendell and Mariella Mae (Rohr) Freed. She was raised and educated in Monmouth, graduating from Monmouth High School in 1971. She then enlisted in the United States Navy, serving six years as a corpsman, before attending Western Illinois University. She married Michael D. Jones in Colorado Springs, Colorado; he preceded her in death.

Mary began her working life in high school at the YMCA and the Italian Village restaurant. She built a long and dedicated career in laboratory work, serving as a lab technician in Hannibal, Missouri, for twenty years. She later continued her work in Pittsfield, Illinois, where she became lab manager, and most recently worked in Louisiana, Missouri, until her retirement.

Mary found deep fulfillment in her many creative pursuits, including sewing, quilting, crocheting, and embroidery. She loved preparing meals for her family, and her family remained the center of her world. She was deeply interested in her family’s genealogy, enjoyed gardening, and was an avid reader. In her leisure time she took pleasure in watching films and shows featuring Chuck Norris and John Wayne. A woman of strong and enduring faith, she was a devoted member of Union Church in LaHarpe, Illinois.

She is survived by her daughter, Mandy Dawn Jones of Pittsfield, Illinois; her granddaughter, Alexandria Stotler of Carthage, Illinois; her mother, Mariella Freed of LaHarpe, Illinois; one brother, John Richard (Susie) Freed of Mankato, Minnesota; sister-in-law Marie Freed of Kansas City, Missouri; brother-in-law Steve Brown of Macomb, Illinois; former sister-in-law Kay Hoaglin of Faribault, Minnesota; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her father, her brother James (Jim) W. Freed, and her sister Lori Brown.