Lillie Lucille Jones

Lillie Lucille Harrelson Dayton Jones was born May 25, 1942 in Laurel, Mississippi. She lived in beauty and grace on this earth, blessing all those she touched for 83 years. She left this earth at her home in Oxford, MS on April 16, 2026 surrounded by family and dear friends. The funeral will be Monday, April 20, 2026, at 3:30 P.M. in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home with Pastor Ryan Watson officiating. Visitation will be held prior to the service beginning at 1:30 P.M. Burial will follow in St. Peter’s Cemetery.

Lucille was the middle child of Lemuel G. Harrelson and Myrtle Irene Fowler Harrelson. She was preceded in death by her older sister Gwendolyn Harrelson Carr and She is survived by her younger brother Lemuel Alvin Harrelson of Laurel, MS. After graduating from Gardiner Watson High School in 1959, Lucille first attended Jones County Community College and then entered nursing school at South Mississippi Charity Hospital School of Nursing. She moved to Dallas, TX where she met her first husband Chuck Dayton and practiced nursing as an RN before eventually moving to Oxford, MS. Lucille practiced every type of nursing known and she was an expert at all of it. The majority of her nursing career was spent at the University of Mississippi Health Services where she retired after 28 years.

She had three daughters that were her whole heart, Michele, Sabrina & Rhonda. Later in life Lucille married the love of her life, Rufus Thomas Jones, an Oxford native and inherited his two children, Les Jones and Julie Jones Dakin just as Rufus took on Michele, Sabrina and Rhonda as his own. Lucille and Rufus had many happy years together, sharing children, grandchildren, friends and Ole Miss Rebel football.

Survivors include her daughters Michele Dayton Patton (Lynn) of Paris, MS, Sabrina Dayton Edwards (John) of Mont Pelier, MS, Rhonda Dayton Tompkins (special friend John Hill) of Oxford, MS, and Julie Jones Dakin (Paul) of Oxford, MS; and son, Les Jones (Shelia) of Madison, MS. Besides their children they shared their most precious grandchildren, Hunter Mize (Corey), Tyler Mize (Kylie), Preston Shotts (Celia), Dayton Shotts, Lillie Tompkins, Allison Jones Graham, Grant Jones, Keller Anderson, Kate Anderson Layla Anderson, Baylee Bagget (Lex), Lyndsey Patton, Jackson Patton, and Marlee Patton. Rufus and Lucille also shared 13 beautiful great grandchildren. Lucille also leaves behind her lifelong best friends Edna Wright and Mary Cronin and Madeleine Sapoch.

Lucille was a strong and faithful friend to so many. If she met you, you were treated as family & as a friend. Long time dear friends who felt like family included Edna Wright, Mary Cronin, Madeleine Sapoch, and Roy Brassell.

Over her more than 50 years as an RN Lucille served God and mankind. She was not only a skillful and knowledgeable RN she was always kind and thoughtful in her practice. All the people Lucille touched have been blessed. Those of us who loved her will miss her for the rest of our lives. We will see you again-Mom, Mimi, Friend and Lil.