Sarah Loretta Jones

Sarah “Cricket” Loretta Jones, of Dallas, TX, passed away at 4:47AM on February 14th, 2024, of natural causes after a more recent decline in health.

Wife of Jimmy William Jones, mother to only child, Jason Wayne Jones, grandmother to Derek Joseph Jones, Dustin James Jones, and Layla Miyuki Jones. Sarah was born most appropriately near Mother’s Day on May 13th, 1944 in Colver, PA to mother Kathleen McGinnis and father Charles Fester. She was born prematurely, weighed only 2 lbs, but had the lungs of a “cricket”. Just like her husband, she was also the 2nd oldest of eight siblings. Her siblings include brothers Kenneth Salsgiver, Buddy Fester, Mickey Gentry, David Gentry, and Johnny McGinnis and sisters Theresa Carter and Jeannie McGinnis.

Raised initially by her grandmother in Colver, Sarah grew up mostly in North Philly with her mother and brothers Buddy, Micky and Davey. Her upbringing was unfortunately difficult to say the least. She struggled as the oldest sibling in the house, being a bona fide 2nd mother to a bunch of boys, while also dealing with an abusive stepfather in a very “rough” neighborhood in the 50s. Not many can understand how tough, resourceful and independent she became due to her childhood. Money was certainly a struggle as well, as she often made trips to the Catholic church for help. Educated in Catholic schools, she never completed High School, and she eventually left home to live out her teenage years at a nearby orphanage. She was smart and savvy enough to raise herself to young adulthood. For Sarah, the years in the orphanage were some of the better years of her life. After leaving there, she found her way in life initially with different jobs from working at the hospital as a Candy Stripe Nurse to waitressing to working at the nearby paper box company. She reunited with her mother and the rest of her siblings in her early twenties.

Sarah’s life certainly changed after meeting and marrying her husband, Jimmy Jones, on November 9th, 1968. Her husband, a forever Navy veteran of 33 years, would not take no for an answer after several attempts of luring this tall, beautiful but difficult girl from Philly. For the next 50 years, she and her husband enjoyed the ups and downs of marriage and Naval life, moving multiple times from Philadelphia to Jacksonville, FL, Whidbey Island, WA, Iwakuni, Japan, San Diego, CA, Guam, Key West, FL, before finally retiring in Pensacola, FL. Sarah enjoyed every bit of travel to new locations. After two failed attempts at having children of their own, Sarah and Jimmy were miraculously able to adopt their son, not in the US but in Iwakuni, Japan. While stationed in Japan, Sarah and her husband made many friends in their Japanese neighborhood, where they lived after learning that base housing was full. It was through a friend in their new neighborhood that she learned of a 3-week old Japanese baby boy who needed a family. After adopting Jason, she felt complete and knew in her heart that this was meant to be. She was the best mother a child could have and did everything in her power to provide her son with a wonderful childhood.

Not unlike her husband with his siblings, Sarah was beloved by her siblings but drifted away from their respective hometown and state. She was loving, compassionate and 100% loyal. If you were her friend, you were her friend for life. She was certainly heard and brought joy and laughter to those she loved. With little education and a poor childhood, she found what she longed for: being loved, being wanted, and having stability, Sarah is now reunited with her husband in Heaven who passed away nearly 6 years ago.

For her son, she provided the best childhood, something she knew she could provide as a nurturing mother who didn’t have one. For her grandchildren, there was even more love to give, even with the recent difficulties she incurred in health, both physically and mentally.

Sarah Loretta Jones will forever be known as the most loving wife, mother, grandmother and sister, a girl that grew up earlier than she probably wanted but found peace in her own accomplishments and stability. She received love by those around her until her last breath.

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