TUPELO – Mary Olivia “Libby” Burleson Jones, 72, died Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at her Tupelo residence after a one-year illness. Born on Feb. 4, 1948 in Tupelo to the late Charles E. Burleson and Mary Ophelia Hood Burleson, she was raised in the Dorsey/Mantachie area of Itawamba County by Aubry and Dovie Cooley whom she considered her parents. Libby graduated from IAHS in 1966 and attended Northeast Community College. She married Keith Jones on Dec. 18, 1965 at Bethel Baptist Church. Libby worked for Hinds Bro. Department Store for 11 years, Tupelo Orthopedic Group for 15 years, and retired after many years in the office of the Digestive Health Clinic at North Miss. Medical Center. A charming soul, Libby loved music, especially church music. She was organist for 23 years at Monument Drive Baptist Church and served as organist for other area churches including First Baptist-Verona and West Jackson Baptist Church. When she wasn’t filled with the sounds of music, she passionately did watercolor and oil paintings. Her work was highly sought by her many friends in this area. A supporter of rescue animals, Libby loved her pet dogs over the years. She was a faithful member of First Baptist-Tupelo until her health failed.
A service celebrating her life will be held at 11 A.M. Saturday, August 22, 2020 at the Tupelo Chapel of Holland Funeral Directors with Bro. Lowell Walker, Bro. Ricky Young, and Bro. Randy Wood officiating. Burial will follow in Lee Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 10 A.M.-service time Saturday only.
Libby is survived by her family, husband, Keith Jones of Tupelo; sons, Chris Jones (Karen) of Longview, TX, and Jason Jones (Sonya) of Clinton, MS; four grandchildren, Miranda Jones, Jacob Jones, Katharine Jones, and Alice Jones; her siblings, Larry Cooley and his children, Brenda and Melissa, Sharon Miller (Allen) of Tupelo, Jack Hillensbeck (Sherri) of Biloxi, Doug Hillensbeck (Angie), Donna Boskin of Cincinnati, Ohio and Valerie Whitten of Arizona; a niece and nephew, Ben Mowers (Tiffany) and Kecia Reid (Paul); and the remaining extended family; and a special friend, Joe Fields. She was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Wanda Cooper, and a brother, Arden Cooley.
Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 252 Danny Thomas Way, Memphis, TN 38501, or the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society, P. O. Box 2143, Tupelo, MS 38803.
For those who may be unable to attend, the service may be viewed at hollandfuneraldirectors.com/Live-streaming.
