Mary Luetta Lawrence-Jones

Mary Lawrence-Jones of Sioux Falls, SD, died February 27, 2021 at her home in the Prince of Peace
assisted living community in Sioux Falls. She was 85.

Mary Luetta Lawrence was born December 11, 1935 in Montgomery County, Iowa to Prentis Omer and
Eunice Aneita (Preston) Lawrence. She attended Corning community schools and was a member of CHS
class of 1953. She worked as a cook in the school cafeteria and as the proprietor of a craft supplies store
in Corning and a short tenure as a radio dispatcher for the Adams County Sheriff.

Mary and Robert Gentle were married in December 1955 and settled in Lincoln Township, Adams
County, IA. Robert died in October 1958. She married Paul Glen Lawrence on July 16, 1960 in Prescott,
IA. They purchased their first home at 909 10th street and subsequently bought and renovated a series
of homes in Corning before settling at 700 5th Street. After Paul’s death in July 1993 Mary moved to
Maryville, MO and ultimately to King City, MO after she married Ron Jones May 1998 in Gentry, MO.
They returned to Corning settling at 808 15th Street. After Ron’s death, she moved to 512 N Locust in
Stanberry, MO where she met and lived with Dean Brown for several years. She moved to Sioux Falls
October 31, 2015 to be nearer family.

Mary took up interior decoration and house renovation with her husband Paul for the duration of their
lives together. She crafted and sewed and created throughout her lifetime and was an avid reader and
gifted her kids with her affection for the library. Mary cherished antiques and was well-known at the
area estate sales. She became an expert in depression era glassware and put together several
significant collections. She relished jigsaw puzzles and played cards with a couple’s club for years. She
was a committed and competitive player of card games and gave no quarter to kids, grandkids, or great
grandkids her latest pleasure being Five Crowns. She and Paul square-danced at the Wagon Wheel in
Corning and were members of the camping club. She bowled competitively on an all-women team. She
and Paul joined the Happy Hollow Country club and took up golf when their two oldest graduated from
High School, becoming a member of the Golden Girls team. She followed the sport even after she could
no longer physically participate. She enjoyed opry music and moved to NW Missouri after Paul died so
that she could be nearer the venues where it was performed. She thrived in the social milieu and
dancing and met her third husband at the opry in Gentry, the venue where they married. She was a
lifelong inquisitive learner and kept herself informed about current events. Her recollection of details
and dates was renown within the family. More recently, she followed the goings on with her binoculars
from her 4th floor apartment in Sioux Falls and provided running commentary on the latest drug deals or
stabbings she observed. She was feisty and fearless in facing death and loss, cancer, and old-age and
expressed her affection for her loved ones actively and generously. A member of the Corning Christian
Church, her faith was a quiet bedrock of her strength through everything that life threw at her.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands and partner, her siblings: Robert, Dean, Dale,
Phil, Stanley, Betty, Harriet, Lucile, and Janet and daughter, Lisa Joann (1961-2006). She is survived by
her son Mark (husband Alan Sutherland) Lawrence of Houston, TX, daughter LeAnn (husband Joseph)
Schwebach of Sioux Falls, SD; grandchildren: Jason (wife Hannah) Lawrence of Owasso, OK, Joshua
Lawrence of Inola, OK, Sean (wife Tybie) Lawrence of Tulsa, OK, Lori (husband Josh) Miller and Erin
(husband Troy) Giegling of Sioux Falls, SD, Jaymee (husband Derek) Hawk of Hendrick, IA and Michael
Fleming of Des Moines, IA along with 15 great-grandchildren (and 1 on the way).