Louise (Darling) Jones

Pearl Louise Darling Jones, 81, of Idaho Falls passed away August 30, 2019, at a local hospital from complications of Parkinson’s Disease.

Louise was born August 3, 1938, in Grass Valley, California, to Theodore “Ted” Darling and Melva Luella Jenkins. She attended schools in California, Utah, and Idaho, graduating at age 16 from Madison High School in 1955. After graduation she attended Nurses Training at the old Idaho Falls LDS Hospital. In 1982, Louise received her BSN from Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Texas, and taught in the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program at a local community college.

In September 1959, she met her future husband, Robert E. “Bob” Jones, a sailor, going through nuclear training at the Westinghouse Site. They were married on April 8, 1960, at her folk’s house on Orlin Drive here in Idaho Falls. They were later sealed in the Hawaii temple on January 26, 1968.

Bob always said the hardest job in the military was that of a Navy wife, and Louise proved this over the first four years of their marriage. During that time, she had three children, and moved a house full of furniture, a car, and those children three different times between Hawaii and California—all without Bob’s help.

After Bob retired from the Navy, they ended up in San Antonio, Texas, where they lived for 18 years before retiring from teaching.

Two things Louise loved—attending the temple and traveling. During their almost 60 years of marriage, Bob and Louise were able to see the United States, Great Britain, and most of Europe. For 18 of those years, they lived full-time in an RV and traveled the country where they were able to visit a number of temples. They completed a one-year stake mission at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple in Dallas, Texas, and then served as veil workers in the Washington D.C., San Antonio, Texas, and the Orlando, Florida, temples.

Louise was preceded in death by her parents, her step-father, Parley Ovard; and her sister, Mary Ann Darling. She is survived by her husband of 59 years; son, Robert Cary Jones (Marguerite) of Austin, TX; son, Gary Alan Jones (Charlene) and daughter, Terry Louise Jones, both of South Riding, VA; and seven grandchildren, William, Julianna, Marlee, Lauren, Kara, Darcie, and Arik; four great-grandchildren, Analeigh, Ailani, Jairome, and Pablo; sisters, Doris Ellis (widow of Gary), Susan Ovard, and Nyda Ovard, all of Idaho Falls; and brothers, David Ovard of Beton, ID, and Michael Ovard of Idaho Falls.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 4, 2019, at Annis Little Butte Cemetery in Menan, Idaho, with interment and dedication of the grave to follow. A viewing will be held Tuesday, September 3, 2019 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at Wood Funeral Home in Idaho Falls.