Remembering LaVerne Koelsch Jones
July 16, 2007
For Immediate Release
STILLWATER A former head of the OSU Veterinary Medicine Library passed away June 30.
LaVerne Jones worked at the Library from August 1970 until her retirement at the end of 1988.
LaVerne Koelsch Jones was born to William Koelsch and Esther (Lindberg) Koelsch in Milwaukee, Wisc., August 1923. She spent her youth in Milwaukee. Upon graduation from high school, she moved to Chicago, Ill., where she earned her bachelor of arts degree at the American Academy of Arts. There, during WWII, she met Eugene (Gene) Miles Jones, and they married June 8, 1944.
They moved to Midwest City, where they established the Midwest Veterinary Hospital in 1952. LaVerne ran the business side of the clinic including assisting with emergency calls. In 1965, Eugene accepted a position in the School of Veterinary Medicine at Oklahoma State University, and the family moved to Stillwater. LaVerne attended OSU, receiving a baccalaureate with a double major in English and German.
LaVerne was named to the position of Assistant Cataloger in the Edmon Low Library in August 1970 after earning her masters degree in library science at the University of Oklahoma. LaVerne had a continuing interest in art and architectural design from her time at the American Academy of Arts. In 1979, she began as the Architecture Librarian. In the new position she was recognized for her contribution for the upgrading of the quality of architectural education. According to the head of the School of Architecture, her extremely positive and helpful attitude was a major element in making the Resource Center an effective educational tool for students and faculty alike. LaVerne was named head of the Veterinary Medicine Library, on March 1, 1981, and served in that capacity until her retirement on Dec. 31, 1988.
LaVerne and her husband, Eugene, were also very active in the community, embracing every culture with open arms. For many years, they served as a host family for a number of international students from Europe and Asia studying in Stillwater High School and Oklahoma State University. She was also involved with the Stillwater Literacy Council as an English tutor for wives of international students.
LaVerne was an artist and expressed her talent in the textile arts, including knitting, crochet, needle work and sewing. She made many beautiful pieces for her children, grandchildren and friends.
LaVerne Koelsch Jones, 83, died Saturday, June 30, 2007. She is survived by four children: Victoria Brust of Tulsa; Kristin Jones of Salamanca, Spain; Dean Durocher-Jones of Cleveland, Ohio; and Scott Jones of Beverly, Mass. and Salamanca, Spain; seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system that cuts across disciplines to better prepare students for a new world. Oklahoma's only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. OSU has more than 32,000 students across its five-campus system and nearly 21,000 on its Stillwater campus; with students from all 50 states and about 110 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 200,000 students who have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma and the world. CREATE - INNOVATE - EDUCATE - GO STATE!
URL: http://www.library.okstate.edu/news/sum07/jones.htm
Last Updated: 10 June 2008
