Maria Jones

Maria Jones Life Story

With a rich life spanning nearly a century, Maria Jones brought tremendous beauty and warmth to those around her. Her story brings history to life as her fascinating journey is intertwined with a firsthand account of events that shaped the history of the world. Never one to be idle for too long, Maria enjoyed an active lifestyle while deeply loving those around her. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge, she took in so much of what life had to offer, not taking even one moment for granted. Although she will be deeply missed, her memory will remain alive and well in the hearts of many.

Born March 31, 1921 in the country then known as “The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes” (later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and part of modern day Croatia) in the city of Dubrovnik, Maria was one of two children born to her parents, Mr. Zaharije Kotelnikova and his wife, Stefanija Nikie. She was joined some years later by a younger brother, Alexander. Maria attended local schools before leaving the country to attend the University of Berlin in 1939 in the shadow of the newly begun Second World War.

As WWII enveloped much of Europe, the university was forced to shut down. As many foreign nationals began to flee both the Nazi party and the country, Maria’s German was so fluent that she passed as a native of Germany. She found work for an engineering company in Berlin. Towards the end of the war as the Allies were closing in on Berlin, Maria and her friend Chrystal sought refuge in Austria aboard what may have been the last train heading south. Her trip was far from safe; the train was under fire from the Allied troops who were attempting to kill German soldiers who may have been on board. Left with no other option, Maria, Chrystal, and many of their fellow passengers jumped from the train in order to escape and were forced into the trees while the planes relentlessly strafed – and eventually destroyed - the train.

When she finally made her way to Austria, Maria, who was fluent in four languages including German, Serbian, Russian, and Latin (it wasn’t until years later that she added English to her repertoire) found work translating Latin for a local priest in the small town of Lermoos. It wasn’t long before the city was taken under the control of allied forces - specifically the Americans. When translating for a baptism on one occasion, Maria was sent to see the “Erts Kommondant” of the village who was the allied commander in charge of the occupation at the time. Little did Maria know, this would be the man with whom she would share a lifetime of love. His name was Lt. Donald E. Jones, and there was an immediate attraction between them.

After Lt. Jones returned stateside, the young couple corresponded through letters for nearly two years. Don later sent for Maria, and they were married just three weeks later on July 3, 1947, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The newlyweds initially settled in Tennessee, but only for a few months before they returned to Wisconsin. After several years, they eventually built a home on Loraine Avenue in Racine. This house would be where Maria called home for the rest of her life.

Together Maria and Don were blessed with three children: Karen, Richard, and Bruce. She fully immersed herself into her role as a mother and lived a very frugal lifestyle. Maria was an excellent seamstress who regularly made sweaters for her boys and dresses for her daughter. She was also very gifted in the kitchen, and some of her most requested dishes included apple kuchen, Danish layer cake, beef stroganoff, and a variety of Christmas cookies.

Throughout her life Maria was one who liked to keep busy. She worked for Rainfair until she retired after many years of dedicated service. Maria was a member of the YWCA, actively involved at the River Bend Nature Center, and volunteered with many community projects and fundraisers. She was an avid golfer who played into her late eighties, often with Don by her side. Together they enjoyed taking golf trips down south during the winter months and along the East Coast in the summer. Many people would say that between Maria and Don, it was she who was the better golfer. For many years, she was a member of women’s golf leagues where she not only enjoyed heading out on the links, but also the company of a great group of lady friends. She remained active swimming with the “Quarry Rats,” a group of seniors who would arrive before the Quarry was open, usually for an hour beginning at five in the morning. The group swam the circumference of the Quarry beginning in the spring and continuing into the fall when most would say the water was too cold. Maria also exercised two to three days a week at the health club and enjoyed taking long walks along the lake.

Maria never had a desire to go back to her homeland; consequently, she never really knew what became of her family. She always remained rather quiet about her experiences prior to coming to the United States, but she recently talked to her grandchildren about this time in her life so that they could be more aware of their family history.

Although she was deeply saddened with Don’s death in 2006, Maria continued to embrace the days she was given. She enjoyed traveling with her children and grandchildren to places such as the Grand Canyon and Sedona, Arizona, Florida, California, Crystal Lake, Door County, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and New York. Maria particularly enjoyed her trip to New York because she frequently had the opportunity to practice her extensive language skills with the diverse population there. Although she was blessed with a great memory, Maria’s fear was that she would forget her skills if she didn’t get to use them enough. She continued to enjoy her other interests, too, such as working in her garden and spending time out in nature. Maria had a great knowledge of flowers and birds, and she could spend hours outside studying them both. She deeply loved her friends, frequently getting together for breakfast or luncheon gatherings with them.

With so much love to give her friends and loved ones, Maria Jones touched their hearts in such a special way. She was a devoted mother to be sure, but she just may have argued that being a grandmother was the very best part as her five grandchildren were her precious angels who always brought a warm smile to her face. Maria will be deeply missed.

Maria Jones died on Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Maria’s family includes her three children, Karen (Gary) Christianson, Richard (Kathy) Jones, Bruce (Karen) Jones; 5 grandchildren, Michael Christianson, Nicole and Christopher Jones, Alexis and Andrew Jones; sister-in-law, Marianna Rothe; nephews, Robert Jones and Lance Jones; other relatives and friends. In addition to her parents and husband, Maria was preceded in death by her brother, Alexander. A Memorial Service will be held Sunday, December 4, 2011, 1:00 p.m. at the funeral home with Rev. Brad Van Fossen officiating. Private graveside services will be held at Wildwood Cemetery in Sheboygan. Relatives and friends may meet with the family on Sunday at the funeral home from 12:00 p.m. until time of service. In lieu of flowers, memorials to one’s favorite charity have been suggested. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a favorite memory or photo. MARESH-MEREDITH & ACKLAM FUNERAL HOME, 803 MAIN ST. RACINE, WI 53403, (262) 634-7888.