DeNELDA JEAN (IRONS) RICHARDSON JONGERIUS

DeNelda Jean (Irons) Richardson Jongerius, died Sunday, February 26, 2017 at Liberty Hospital in Liberty, MO at the age of 86.

She was born December 21, 1930, to John Edward Irons and Leatha Jean (Hawkins) Irons in Richmond, Ray County, Missouri in her grandmother's home. Both parents and two brothers, Frederick Bennett and Robert Allen Irons and her beloved companion of 21 ½ years…her cat "Thunder" preceded her in death.

She was married to Arthur Allen Richardson of Richmond in 1950; and in 1993 to Nicolaas Jongerius of Schiedam, Holland, both of whom preceded her in death.

She is survived by one son, Stephan Parker Richardson and his wife, Patricia; and one granddaughter, Jessica Lyndsey Richardson of St. Louis, Missouri; one niece, Barbara Jean Irons Beezley and her husband Jack; their son, Michael Ryan Beezley of Springfield, Missouri; and one nephew, George Edward Irons and his wife, Lynne of Ozark, Missouri. Besides the Stephen and Brenda Hamm family there are several cousins and close friends living in the Richmond, Kansas City, Nixa and St. Louis, Missouri areas; and in Manchester, Kentucky. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Lake St. Louis, Missouri.

DeNelda attended the Richmond schools thru the 9 ^th grade and then graduated from Davenport, Iowa High School in 1948. She became a member of the Order of the Eastern Star in 1957, becoming a Past Matron in 1968 in the Florissant, Missouri Chapter #161 and was a member, Past Matron and Past District Deputy of Richmond Chapter #255. She was a Grand Cross of Color member of the Dawn Preceptory, and a past Mother Advisor of the Sunset Assembly International Order of Rainbow for Girls which she helped form in 1968 in Florissant, Missouri. She was the Past President of the Sentier Toastmistress Club and Past President of the Boy Scout Troop #71 Mother's Club and a member of the Business & Professional Women's Association. After retiring from Monsanto as a Legal Secretary and the Brown Shoe Company as a Private Secretary of Real Estate in St. Louis, she was active for many years as the owner of gift shops, selling antiques and crafts, teaching others to craft and wrote a book on crafting.

Her many activities included writing novels, children's stories, poetry and the genealogy of the Irons, Endsley and Hawkins families. She loved Mother Nature, birds, animals, oil painting, cooking, gardening, music, worldwide pen friends and traveling. She recognized her gift of helping others and would tell funny stories about her lifetime incidents. Her personality touched many people throughout the United States, Holland, France, Italy, Japan and England.

The family suggests memorial contributions be made to either the New Hope Church or the New Hope Cemetery.

Eastern Star service and funeral will be held on Sunday, March 5, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. at Thurman Funeral Home in Richmond. Visitation will be Sunday, March 5, 2017 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Thurman Funeral Home in Richmond. Burial will be in the Richmond Memory Gardens Cemetery. On line condolences may be left on our website at www.thurmanfuneralhome.com