Jill Sherndal Jones
Jill Sherndal Jones, 88, of St. Johnsbury, died peacefully on October 7, 2016, in Concord, surrounded by the love of her family who were so dear to her.
Mrs. Jones was born February 8, 1928, in Montclair, New Jersey, the daughter of Alfred E. Sherndal and Beatrice (Jaques) Sherndal of Old Chatham, New York. She graduated from St. Agnes School in Albany, New York, and Wells College in Aurora, New York, class of 1949. In 1985 she received her master’s degree from Lyndon State College.
On June 14, 1952, she married Theodor Jones and they raised their four children in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
In 1983, she moved to Jill’s Hill in South Wheelock where she lived in the company of her beloved dogs, Tacka, Elsie, and later Peppi and Beau. She also had a beautiful Norwegian fiord horse “Susi” that she kept for years, driving and riding.
Mrs. Jones led an active life in South Wheelock, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and tending Susi. She was an avid reader and did the New York Times crossword puzzle religiously every day, in pen. She volunteered delivering Meal-on-Wheels and taught art classes in St. Albans. Her own artwork flourished when she lived in St. Albans, where she became an active member of the Bishop Street artist group.
She loved classical music and played piano well. She also sang for years with the North Country Chorus in St. Johnsbury. They traveled to Prague and Sweden. A highlight for her was singing as a young woman in a 100-member chorus with the Boston Symphony at the Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts, under the direction of Serge Koussevitsky.
Her beloved children, daughter Winnie Jones and her partner, Susan Aldrich, of Vermont, daughter Jill Agnew and her husband, Charlie, of Maine, son Tom Jones and his partner, Diana Gipe, of Vermont and son Ted of Florida survive her. She leaves her grandchildren Jenny and Charlie of Maine, and Lindsay, Nick, Ben, Sam, Max, and Jenna of Vermont; and three great-grandchildren: Mason, Keegan, and Arlo.
A celebration of Mrs. Jones’ life will be held at a later date.
Memories and condolences may be shared at www.saylesfh.com.
Mary Jane Meyer
Mary Jane Meyer (nee Daley) died peacefully on September 17, 2016, at her home in Ballwin, Missouri.
She was born January 11, 1926, in Brookfield, Massachusetts, where her father was the postmaster. He arranged for Mary Jane to ride along on the first airmail flight from Brookfield to Springfield, Massachusetts, in a bi-wing, open cockpit plane. This began her love of travel and adventure.
After her father’s unexpected death, the family returned to Vermont, and Mary Jane enrolled at Hartford High School in White River Junction. She received many honors at Hartford High, and was elected to Girls’ State to be “governor for the day.”
She won a full academic scholarship to Syracuse University to study journalism, but under pressure from her family, she instead attended Russell Sage College, earning a bachelor of nursing degree. She graduated from Russell Sage with high honors in 1947. She said her biggest achievement at Russell Sage was learning how to sneak in and out of the dorm and not get caught.
Mrs. Meyer then moved with her husband to a rural area just west of St. Louis, where she raised her family.
In her mid 50s, she earned a master’s degree in education, and built a successful professional career in nursing education. Before her retirement as director of Barnes Hospital School of Nursing, she led the school’s transition from a diploma school to a four-year bachelor of nursing program.
Mrs. Meyer was an avid cook, gardener, reader, sportsman, traveler, friend, teacher, mentor, and grandmother. She passed her wanderlust on to her children and grandchildren.
Mrs. Meyer was preceded in death by her parents, Loretta and Matthew Daley Sr.; sister-in-law Pat Daley; nephew Matthew Daley III; son-in-law Russ McDaniel; and former husband, James E. Meyer Sr., MD.
Mrs. Meyer is survived by her daughters Jan McDaniel and her husband, Tom Cummings, and Susan Birge and her husband, Gerard Chapdelaine; her son, Jim Meyer; and daughter-in-law Mary Meyer; her niece and “third daughter” Mary Jane Shannon Daley and her huband, Will Buskey; beloved grandchildren Sarah Birge, Hannah Birge, Eli Birge, and Ryan Meyer; and brother Matthew Daley Jr.
A memorial service will be held in late December. In lieu of flowers, the family requests tributes to the Mary Jane Meyer Nursing Scholarship at the Barnes Jewish Hospital Foundation. The foundation can be found online, or by calling (314) 747-3000.
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