LIVING A LONG AND FULFILLING
LIFE, IT'S WHAT MANY OF US
WANT.
A RICH FIELD WOMAN PASSED
AWAY AT 104 YEARS OLD TWO WEEKS
AGO.
SHE WAS A REAL FEISTY LADY.
THAT'S WHY SHE LIVED SO LONG.
GRACIE WAS A LONG TIME
EMPLOYEE AT A FLORAL SHOP IN
SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS.
SHE WAS KNOWN FOR HER WELCOMING
SMILE.
BUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
LAUNCHINGED HER CAREER ARE FAR
FROM JOYOUS.
ANGELA DAVIS SHARES GRACIE'S
LIFE STORY.
LOVED WORKING HERE.
SHE LOVED ALL THE PRETTY
THINGS.
AND GRACE WAS ALWAYS SMILING.
ALWAYS.
GRACIE JONES CONTINUED TO
WORK UNTIM HER EARLY 80S.
SHE TRAINED THIS SALES
CONSULTANT 33 YEARS AGO.
SHE HAD A REALLY GOOD
OUTLOOK ON LIFE.
SHE SAID EACH DAY WAS A GIFT.
AND SHE USED TO SAY THAT A LOT.
FOR MOST OF HER LIFE GRACIE
WAS AN ACTIVE WOMAN.
SWIMMING NEARLY EVERYDAY UNTIL
SHE WAS ALMOST 90.
SHE HAD A POOL IN HER
BACKYARD AND EVERYDAY IN THE
SUMMER SHE WOULD SWIM.
GRACIE LIVED IN HER RICH
FIELD HOME UNTIL SHE WAS 103.
SHE SPENT TIME WORKING IN HER
GARDEN, NO DOUBT REFLECTING ON
THE DAYS WHEN HER HUSBAND AND
THREE KIDS STILL LIVED HERE
WITH HER.
HER HUSBAND DONALD WAS A PILOT
FOR NORTHWEST AIRLINES.
IT WAS IN 1950, AND THE
WHOLE FAMILY WAS READY TO GO TO
FLORIDA FOR A CHRISTMAS.
A PILOT GOT SICK AND COULDN'T
FLY A PLANE.
SO HE SAID, HER HUSBAND SAID HE
WOULD FLY FOR THIS FELLOW.
AND THEN HE'D BE RIGHT BACK.
IT WAS JUST AN OVER NIGHT
FLIGHT.
THERE WAS A BLIZZARD, THE PLANE
DONALD JONES WAS FLYING CRASHED
INTO A HOUSE IN SOUTH
MINNEAPOLIS.
ALL 13 PEOPLE ON BOARD WERE
KILLED AS WELL AS TWO CHILDREN
INSIDE THE HOME.
SO SHE RAISED HER CHILDREN
ALL ALONE.
GRACIE WENT FROM BEING A
STAY AT HOME MOM TO A WORKING
HUSBAND AS IF HE WAS ALWAYS
THERE BY HER SIDE.
LIKE THE WHOLE TIME.
MONICA LEWIS BECAME FRIENDS
WITH GRACIE AT CHURCH.
THEY SANG IN THE CHOIR
TOGETHER.
SHE KNEW WHAT SHE HAD TO DO.
SHE HAD THESE KIDS AND NOW SHE
HAD TO BE THE ONLY PARENT AND
SHE REALLY STEPPED UP TO BAT.
AND FOUND THE STRENGTH TO
RECAPTURE HER JOY.
ANGELA DAVIS, WCCO 4 NEWS.
GRACIE JONES WAS ALSO KNOWN
FOR HER KNITTING, NEEDLE POINT,
AND SEWING SKILLS.
IF YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR A
PERSON WE SHOULD PROFILE ON
LIFE STORY, SEND IT TO
WCCO.COM/LINKS.
