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| Kay Louise Jones |
Kay was born September 5, 1946 in Kansas City, KS, the daughter of Frank J. and LaVera Irene (White) Simpson. During her childhood years, she lived in Overland Park and the Adrian/Archie area, graduating from Crescent Hill. She would eventually get married and have three sons and one daughter.
Spending most of her 20’s as a single mother, she was skilled at multi-tasking and mastered many great job positions; dental hygienist, TV program operator at Channel 27, and painter apprentice, were just a few of the certificates she earned. During her 30’s she moved back from Springfield, MO and painted the side of Jones General Store in Spruce, MO; her handwriting is still partially visible today. No matter how hard she worked, there was always time to take the kids to the river for camping and fishing.
In her 40’s she managed various stores for the Tandy Leather Company, teaching customers how to create their crafts and promote the “lost art” of leather. She also became a grandma, combining her love of crafts with a new grandbaby every year. She has instilled each one to be creative in their own way. The children can remember sleeping in her handmade tepees, making crafts on rainy days, spending the whole weekend at the Austin Bean Eating Festival and burying time capsules in her backyard.
For the last 20 years, she has been her father’s best friend. Together as caregivers, Kay battled breast cancer and Papa fought throat cancer, both having to do chemo treatments and to the doctor. Kay opened up the Deer Creek Outpost, in Adrian MO, where local children can remember crafting their first leather belt, painting on rocks and turtle shells, or exploring Native American artifacts. In the last 15 years, the adventurous duo built a cabin in the woods, panned gold and went deep sea fishing in Alaska three times, drove a Chevy through the Yukons, and visited the North Pole. When at home, they were playing cards and fixing up some homemade wine to share with their friends. However, Kay hated to cook and hated washing all the wine bottles.
She was preceded in death by her father, Frank Simpson, her mother, LaVera Simpson, and one son, Bobby Huff. “Walking Eagle” leaves behind her grandchildren, Kevin Allan and Heather Renay Huff, Franklin Blaine and Breauna Lacey Schroeder, Kile Wade and Felicia Nichole Schroeder, Christian Audrina, Patrick Quinn, and Margaret Kay Louise O’Neill, Weston Elvin and Michael Allan Junior Breshears; 3 great-granddaughters, Carly, Baylee and Blake.
