City treasurer Jones dies four months after cancer diagnosis

By Roxie Murphy, Staff Writer
Posted 11/25/20

Belle city treasurer and mother of three Michelle Jones died Sunday at Mercy Hospital Washington from complications due to stage four stomach cancer. Family members and co-workers said Jones will be …

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City treasurer Jones dies four months after cancer diagnosis

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Belle city treasurer and mother of three Michelle Jones died Sunday at Mercy Hospital Washington from complications due to stage four stomach cancer. Family members and co-workers said Jones will be missed.

Jones significant other, Butch Hendrix said she went into the emergency room just four months ago for digestion and gastritis problems only to find out that the real issue was cancer.

“She has been taking the generic form of Zantac over 15 years,” Hendrix said.

Because of the cancer’s progression, Jones’ treatment was aggressive and made her incredibly sick. However both Hendrix and city Mayor Steve Vogt said Jones didn’t give up and she didn’t leave work willingly.

“She worked up ‘till the month of her death,” Hendrix said. “The last two weeks she was in the hospital.”

Vogt added, “She was very good at what she did. It is a tragic loss for the city. She battled for a long time and came to work when she wasn’t feeling well until the end there. She gave 100 percent all of the time.”

Jones, 59, was observant. Those around her said she was honest to a fault and would “give it to you straight.”

Jones’ son, Mike Jones said the family traveled a lot.

“We were close — not really towards the end because I was working out of state,” Mike Jones said.

Jones moved his wife and six children to Rolla to be closer to his mother while she was sick.

“I quit my job in Michigan to be here for her and for my kids and we’ve only been back a couple of weeks. I didn’t get to see her before except the night she was taken to the hospital.”

Mike Jones said he used to call his mom every other day, but after she was diagnosed, he tried to make it a point to call every day.

“I called her almost every day for two minutes or 30 minutes and it meant the world to both of us just to talk. That is the hardest part right now. I can’t call her. I can’t talk to her. I have missed the talks,” he said.

Jones’ son, Greg Ockerman II, passed in February 2020, leaving his two daughters behind. Jones had custody of the girls for a brief time and continued visitation with them after her diagnosis. Hendrix met Ockerman while they were employed at Cedar Components. He later met Jones through his connection to Ockerman and was close with Ockerman’s two children Willow and River.

“I built River’s first bedroom,” Hendrix said. “Michelle and I never married though. I’ve never met a harder-headed woman. I thought I was a mule and she made me look like a Shetland Pony.”

Jones was good at numbers. She started working for the city five years ago.

“She was a good person and a good person to work with,” Vogt said. “Everyone enjoyed her presence. We hated to lose her.”

Vogt and other work friends enjoyed Christmas parties where Jones was famous for making egg rolls.

“It’s everybody she worked with at the city — Nathan Abel’s mom brought cookies to make sure she was comfortable,” Hendrix said. “I now know mayors and police officers and not because I’m on the wrong side of the law. She taught me to stand up for what I believe in.”

The Ya Yas of Belle also donated money and gas cards that Hendrix said he would like to return so they can bless someone else.

“I could tell her the truth no matter what and she really wouldn’t judge me too much,” Mike Jones said.

Jones had a scheduled surgery on Sunday to have a tube put in from the stomach to the digestive tract because the cancer was eating away the lining of her stomach.

“There wasn’t enough lining to attract the tube,” Hendrix said. “When she was first diagnosed, they gave her two years. She lived four months.”

Hendrix said Jones loved the Belle community and he is not going to run away from it — the place where they raised their children.

“I’m the biological father of six and she was the biological mother of two — but she carries eight on her heart,” said Hendrix. “I’m gonna miss her forever.”