Gwen, as she was known to her many friends, died peacefully at age 82 on January 8, 2001. Daughter of Arthur and Florence Jones of New Rochelle, NY, wife of the late Arthur Harry Oesterheld for almost 60 years, and mother of three children, Gwen lived most recently in Needham and Plainfield, Massachusetts.
Former residences included Port St. Lucie, FL; Owensboro, KY; North Haven, CT; and White Plains, NY, where she was active in church and school affairs, serving as president of the local PTA. Gwen worked with the local Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, the League of Women Voters and the Garden Club, often in various leadership roles. She was also an active member of the Kentucky Club of Stuart, FL.
A 1939 graduate of Connecticut College where she majored in music, Gwen loved to play the piano and composed numerous melodies and musicals. Among them were "Pom-Pom, The Pelican," a children's musical that was performed in several Florida schools; "Rally 'Round The Coffee Tree," a musical celebration of Kentucky's heritage; and a collection of musical skits for the Plainfield Bicentennial Celebration. Gwen was also known for her love of birds and dogs.
Gwen will be dearly missed, above all for her humor and high spirits. The sister of Kenneth Arthur Jones of Martha's Vineyard who passed away in February 2000, Gwen is survived by her second brother, Donald Lewis Jones of Hamilton, NY, and by her three children: David Oesterheld and his wife Susan of New York City; Douglas and his wife Kate and their son Daniel of Needham; and Janet Oesterheld Greaves and her husband Randall Greaves of Okeechobee, FL. A memorial service will be held in Plainfield this summer.
Dave Oesterheld
