IRVING, Texas - Arminta Jones, the mother of Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, passed away peacefully this morning in Dallas.
Arminta was born on Oct. 17, 1922, in Ozan, Arkansas, and married the late J.W. "Pat" Jones on Oct. 25, 1941. The couple met while at Little Rock Business College. Jerry was one of two children of Arminta's, who celebrated her 90th birthday with her family last week.
"Her instincts and personality were her greatest gifts," Jerry said. "She always knew the right thing to do, how to be strong in tough times and tough in good times. Somehow, however, having fun was a requirement at all times."
From childhood to his adult and professional life, Jerry said his parents were always a team he could draw lessons from. The couple was married for 56 years prior to Pat's death in 1997.
"My father was an innovator in business, someone who changed the way industries were run in three different fields—groceries, insurance, and tourism," Jerry said. "My mother was his partner, a bookkeeper, a manager, a salesperson, and she was every bit his equal in all of their success. Their board room was the kitchen table, and I sat there and soaked it all in."
Arminta's survived by her two children, Jerry and Jacque, a brother, two sisters, four grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Jerry said his mother always taught him lessons about the importance of family in every decision.
"She was an educator who taught you the best things you couldn't learn at school," Jerry said.
