Laura Louise Valentine Jones (1917– 2020) passed away December 26, after a fall at home.  She attended the first Kindergarten class at Miller School in Miller Beach, IN and continued her education there through her freshman year in high school and graduated from Emerson High School in Gary, IN.  She met an older student, Sam Jones, during that time and decided she wanted to marry him when she turned 21.  She did not tell him this and decided in the meantime they would be friends.  On her 16 ^th birthday her parents gave her the vacant lot next door to their family home.  Laura thought it was a lousy gift and would have preferred a new dress.  However, Sam became an architect, designed, and built their home on her birthday lot where they lived until Sam's death in 1966 and where Laura continued to live until 2 weeks prior to her death.  She and Sam were married at Central Christian Church in Gary on November 12, 1938.

Laura worked for 40 years for the Railway Express Agency and after she retired, she began doing volunteer work at her church – The Chapel of the Dunes where in 1977 at age 85 she painted a hallway ceiling and at age 87 she painted the doors and hand railings in the church.  She retired as a volunteer at The Indiana Dunes National Park on her 100 ^th birthday where she volunteered at the Chellberg Farmhouse and at the Bailly Homestead.  Laura was an avid supporter of the Northwest Indiana Humane Society to which memorial gifts can be made in her name.  She is survived by her friends and care givers Myrna Newgent, Laura Randall, Judy Ayers….and Laura's dear 19-year-old cat, Abby.  A private grave side service will take place after her cremation.   Due to COVID, a celebration of her life will be announced at a time when those who knew her will feel comfortable gathering to celebrate her long and well lived life. Cremation was entrusted to Rees Funeral Home, 5341 Central Ave, Portage, Indiana