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Frances Marie Jones McKinney, 82, of Kernersville, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, surrounded by her loved ones.
Frances was born on Oct. 23, 1941, in El Dorado, Arkansas, to Craig and Alma Lucille Johnson Jones. Frances moved to Wyoming on Jan. 1, 1947, and experienced her first big snowfall. She attended Powell High School and a business college in Lubbock, Texas. Her professional life included working as a legal secretary and HR director at a law firm, selling real estate while living in New Orleans, Louisiana, and owning and operating the Breath of the West candle business in Wyoming, products that were sold in Yellowstone gift shops. Frances also served as an administrative assistant and assistant manager at a golf/country club. Her love for horsemanship earned her many trophies, including the coveted Reserve Champion award in Powell, Wyoming in 1992. In June of 1985, she married John and fulfilled her dream of living in the country when they moved to Frannie, Wyoming. After John retired, they relocated to Destin, Florida, leaving behind 11 horses and wonderful mountains, Heart Mountain being her favorite. Later, Fran and John moved to North Carolina and attended First Presbyterian Church in Kernersville. In 2008, Fran joined The Heart of the Triad Quilt Guild and created a number of quilts that earned show ribbons. In her lifetime, she traveled at length, bringing back treasures and stories from around the world. Fran was able to find joy in any situation and would always make people feel loved and accepted. Her smile and laugh were contagious.
Survivors include her son, Dean Havas; two granddaughters, Sidney and Alyssa; Amy and other close friends; and her extended family.
In addition to her loving husband and parents, Frances was preceded in death by her daughter, Sheila Marie Havas.
A Celebration of Life honoring the memory of Frances will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org. Friends and family may offer online condolences at piercejeffersonfh.com.
