Greene-Taliaferro-Wilkes County GaArchives Biographies.....Jones, Wiley Bruce  January 8, 1947 - September 16, 2004
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Terri Saturday http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002583 September 13, 2005, 9:11 pm

Author: Terri Saturday

  Wiley Bruce Jones was a war baby, born on January 8, 1947.  He was named
for his father Wiley Cranston, and for his great grandfather, Edmond Wiley.
He was also named for his Uncle Alvin Bruce Ogletree, and for the Rev. M.J.
Bruce of Margaret's Grove Baptist Church.
 
Wiley had one older brother Franklin, younger sister Barbara Merlene, next
in line of siblings are Sandra Marie, Harvey Dean and Ora Nell.
 
Franklin researched and published our family book entitled, The Lineage of
Benjamin F. Jones and John Ogletree Sr., in 1979.
 
In the year of 1970 Wiley became a caseworker and was hired in April with
the staff of the Department of Family Services.
 
In the fall of 1979, Wiley began discussing with Miss Josie Bird of 
Crawfordville the possibility of forming a historical Society for Taliaferro 
County.  As a result of this discussion and a meeting with Mell Lunceford, Jr. 
and about a dozen other people met in the Taliaferro County jury room and 
decided to proceed with the organization.  The constitution and by laws were 
adopted in Dec.  Wiley was elected as first president, Mell Lunceford Jr. was 
Vice president, Mary Ramsey Darden was secretary, and Franklin Jones was 
elected treasurer.  Discussions were begun with the railroad for acquisition 
of the railroad dept in Crawfordville for their headquarters.  The result of 
the discussion was that the CSX Railroad leased the railroad depot to the city
of Crawfordville with the Historical Society as occupant.  A little clean up
work took place but somehow the building never served as their headquarters.
This building was later sold to a private resident residing in our beloved 
Taliaferro County.
 
Wiley took time off from work and was an extra in four movies filmed in
Crawfordville.  These movies were: Home Fires Burning, Paris Trout, A
Passion for Justice and Neon Bible.  These recordings sparked an interest in
preserving Taliaferro County History on film.
 
During this time Wiley married Myra Ann Edwards and their children are
Amanda and Clay.
 
Also during this time Wiley researched and published a cemetery book 
entitled, "Rest in Peace," in October 1984.
 
After being diagnosed with Hereditary Neuropathy with Liabilities to
Pressure Palisis and later changed to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Wiley
retired from the state in June of 1996.
 
At this time Wiley began gathering all his recordings he had made in the 
County and donated much of it to the Taliaferro County Historical Society.  
Before publishing his auto-biography, "I Remember...", July 2003.
 
Sadly a few weeks after his family reunion in 2004, Wiley passed away in his 
sleep on September 16, 2004.  Burial took place in the Robinson Baptist Church 
Cemetery.  Survivors include his mother, Dorothy Leona Ogletree Jones, 
Robinson Community; his wife, Myra Ann Edwards Jones; a daughter, Amanda 
Scott, Wake Forest, N.C.; a son, Clay Jones, Atlanta; three sisters, Barbara 
Merlene Browning, Robinson Community, Nell J. Smith, Bowden, and Sandra Marie 
Meloon, Orlando, Fla.; and two brothers, Franklin Thomas Jones, Thomson, and 
Harvey Deen Jones, Alpharetta.
 
Come and enjoy some of Wiley's work when stepping through the halls of the 
Taliaferro County Historical society.
 
Until my next adventure
Terri Saturday 
   
 


Additional Comments:
Much of the Biography was taken from the pages of Wiley's book "I Remember..." 
published in 2003.  Many of his videos will be transfered from Video to DVD.  
Stop by the Historical Society in Crawfordville any Sunday and pick up a copy 
of one today.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/greene/bios/jones845gbs.txt

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