Mary Josephine Spurgeon of Fort Scott, Kansas passed away peacefully early morning on February 15, 2022. She had been in assisted living for the last few years. Mary Jo was born on July 13, 1933, at home in rural Parsons, Kansas to Nicholas and Frances Glendenning Jones, they preceded her in death.

Mary Jo worked various jobs ranging from assembly worker at the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant, seamstress, convenience store manager, and railroad transport driver for BNSF.

She married George “Bill” Spurgeon on June 27, 1951, they later divorced, and Bill died in 1987.

She is survived by seven children; Vickie (Rod) Chaplin of Fort Scott; Terri (Jeff) Staton of Pleasanton, Kansas; Kenneth (Stacie) Spurgeon of Stockton, Missouri; Tony Spurgeon of Pleasanton; Patsy (Dale) Smith of Pleasanton; Bobbi (Scott) Williams of Columbus, Kansas; and Richard (Stacey) Spurgeon Fort Scott.

A son Tiff W Spurgeon died at the age of 18 in 1984.

Her children gave her 13 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren. One great-grandson preceded her in death.

Mary Jo is also survived by two sisters Lois Anderson of Girard, Kansas, and Janet Post of Olathe, Kansas; two brothers Louis “Nick” Jones of Pittsburg, Kansas, and Lawrence “Dale” Jones of Paola, Kansas.

She was preceded in death by two sisters Wilma “Billie” Hinman and Rosadene Briner.

A private memorial service for the family will be held at a later date.

Burial will be at the Oakwood Cemetery in Parsons, Kansas.

The family has requested that in place of flowers donations be made to Hillside Guest Home in Mary Jo’s name and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.