Jean S. Boney

Jean S. Boney, long-time Alamance News columnist and newspaperwoman, died Monday afternoon at age 88.
   She and her husband, the late Tom Boney, came to Graham in August 1956 to buy The Alamance News.
   She served alongside him at the newspaper until they sold the newspaper to their son, current publisher Tom Boney, Jr. in 1990.
   She was perhaps best known for her folksy column in the weekly newspaper, "Jottings by Jean," in which she chronicled observations on life, her family's milestone events (weddings, athletic successes, graduations, and everything in between), as well as more serious events.
   Her 1991 column, "My Tom is gone," about the passing of her husband (after a two-year battle with leukemia) won third place in the National Newspaper Association for serious columns that year.
   She also won first place for investigative reporting during the first year the award was introduced into the North Carolina Press Association for investigating why so many drunk driving cases had not come to trial in Alamance County.
   In 1979, her editorial writing also won recognition, a 2nd place honor in the state press writing contest.
   She was a 1953 graduate of Flora Macdonald College in Red Springs, NC, where she majored in Bible and Christian Education, intending to become a Director of Christian Education (DCE) in the Presbyterian Church. She married Mr. Boney three weeks later, on June 21, 1953, soon taking a detour into the newspaper business.
   Jean is survived by her four children, 10 grandchildren, and twin great-grandchildren, as well as her brother, and the two sisters-in-law who first arranged the meetings with their brother, as well as nieces and nephews of the extended family.
   Those include: son Tom Boney, Jr. (Carol) of Graham; and their sons, Evans (Susanna) of Los Angeles, CA; and John of Charlotte.
   Daughter Sara Ratcliff (Blake) of Falls Church, VA.; Virginia (Justin) Aid of Fort Sill, OK with twins Remi and C.J.; Kurtis Ratcliff and Georgia Ratcliff, both of Falls Church, VA.; and Carolina Jean (her namesake), now studying in London, England.
   Daughter LouRae (Steve) Holt of Burlington; Lyndsay, Nathan, and Will Holt, also of Burlington; and Philip Holt of Costa Mesa, CA.
   Daughter Jo (Neal) Andrews of Browns Summit.
   Brother Joe (and Kathryn) Sandifer of Tucker, Georgia; sisters-in-law Mollie Boney Moore of Black Mountain; and DeLanie (Bob) Goldston of Franklin.
   Visitation with the family will be at Graham Presbyterian Church Thursday night 6-8 pm.
   The funeral will be Friday morning at 11 a.m., also at the church.
   Burial will be in Wallace, where a graveside service will be conducted Sat. at 1 p.m. at the Rockfish Presbyterian Church Cemetery in the Boney family plot beside her Tom.
   In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in support of the shoebox ministry work of Operation Christmas Child at Jean Boney's memorial page: https://tinyurl.com/shoebox-jeanboney

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