Written by Ben Cox– BrownwoodNews.com would like to offer a “tip of our cap” to a selection of women in town that have made a positive impact on the lives of those around them. Whether by profession, or pastime, these community leaders contribute a rich part to the fabric of Brownwood, and we feel they deserve to have their time in the spot light. We present to you, The Leading Ladies of Brownwood. This week’s leading lady is: Ann Jones.
I sat down with Ann and asked her our list of questions that each Leading Lady will be asked, with a few off the cuff questions specifically for her, and here are her responses.
What is your current profession/What do you do?
I own Ann Jones Real Estate, owner/broker.
What clubs or organizations are you a member of locally?
Not as many as I used to be! I do the Women’s Club of Brownwood, Brownwood Garden Club, I’m involved in my church First United Methodist Church, I am on the board for the Guy D Newman Academy with Howard Payne.
Where were you born?
Teague, Tx (pronounced Tig)
Where did you grow up?
Brownwood, I was three years old when my mother and father took me to live with my grandparents, and my aunt, on the farm in North Brownwood. I lived there till I graduated and married Jimmy Jones. We moved to Plano in 1971 and back in 1996. The farm has been in our family since the 1800’s, five generations. We don’t live on it, but we still own it.
Are your parents still around?
No
What are some of your fondest memories of childhood?
Just being on the farm and being around nature itself. We were poor, to say the least, but my grandmother came from England as a child, so she had that English background, and as I grew older I remembered so many things that she did that I appreciated. There was always a tablecloth on the table, freshly ironed and clean. She always had something fresh on the table. It might be just greenery or wildflowers, but there was always a bouquet of something on the table.
It’s tough when you don’t live with your parents as a child, and don’t always know the reasons, but I had a lot of love as a child. I was blessed that I was raised by strong women who, while not very forceful in their personalities, were strong in what they could do and endure. My aunt Gladys worked for the city of Brownwood for 45 years in the water department. The stories they’d tell of what life was like back then and had to do in order to make do. It was amazing what they accomplished and survived. They were really inspirational women.
Who left a lasting impression upon you which still is with you today?
My grandmother and aunt Gladys without a doubt. And my mom, but my mom wasn’t around a great deal of my life, she became involved a great deal later on in my life.
Another person was Lu Smith, she was my broker when I first went into real estate. She was an amazing women, she taught me a lot of things about life, and not to take life too seriously. I think something that’s stuck with me is that she said we have a choice in how we react to things that happen to us, whether it be negative or positive. We don’t usually have a hard time reacting positively to positive things, it’s the negative we need help with. She said that you have a choice in how to react to that. You can act in a calm way and handle it, or act with anger. So I try to remember that when things happen that aren’t always to my liking. And it’s HARD in the moment!
What do you hope your legacy will be?
I hope people think I care about others. That I enjoy people, I enjoy working with people. I have worked for many years, whether in Plano or here, for the community to be better. Brownwood is a wonderful place to live and raise a family, but there are always things we can do to make it better. A lot of things have happened in the last few years that have made it a more desirable place. I always say if people, when they drove into Brownwood, got the feeling of what it REALLY is, they’d be more likely to want to move here. You don’t get that feel of what Brownwood really is when you drive in for the first time. If you’re a first time person to Brownwood, it doesn’t reflect how wonderful a place it is to live. You drive into Fredericksburg, and you get a sense of what that town is about. We are improving all the time. It’s exciting to see the changes.
What is 1 lesson that you hope your children took with them into adulthood?
I think the main thing I hope I taught them is to care about other people. Not to think about themselves first. To be considerate of other people, try to understand another person’s point of view. To live their life honestly and fairly.
Why is that important?
Because that’s a way to make life a lot easier when you care about other people. If you’re honest and straightforward with people life is a lot easier.
How has living in Brownwood shaped your life?
Having come back from Plano and living a very high-paced life there, very different from this, it’s helped me to slow down and really appreciate the everyday things in life that honestly I had kind of gotten away from. We live on the lake, and for me to look at that beautiful view everyday I feel so blessed that I have the privilege of living there. As I drive back and forth every day and see the deer and wildlife it just makes me appreciate life so much more. To appreciate my blessings. I think the more people can live in a state of thankfulness, the happier they will be. At least that’s how I try to live my life.
If you could speak to yourself as a High School freshman, what would you say to yourself?
It may be hard to believe, but I used to be rather shy. I had almost no self confidence. If I could live that over and I had the knowledge I have today, I would tell myself not to take life so seriously. I would not be timid. I would want to have a larger sense of adventure, embrace life more, get outside of my comfort zone.
What is one goal for yourself/family that you haven’t achieved yet?
I have had a blessed life. We have travelled extensively, in Europe and all over the United States, there are a couple places I would like to go. But as for a goal for my family, we are a close family, so I guess continued love and security, and to continue what we’re doing. We lost one of our sons two years ago, and that makes everybody a little closer and appreciate life a little more.
How do you feel you have impacted Brownwood?
I hope I have helped Brownwood look better than It did when we moved here 21 year ago. I worked on Keep Brownwood Beautiful and we did a lot of work on the mini parks and raising awareness about taking better care of the town as a whole. I was very instrumental in the Feels Like Home slogan and working to bring that about, as well as a lot of community evaluations. Things that Brownwood needed both externally and internally. What is interesting is that we needed as much internal PR as we did external. So during that process is when the idea of doing a festival came about. That (The Brownwood Reunion) was to kick off the website to promote Brownwood. I was the founding chair of the Stars of Texas Arts Exhibit and the children student art event. So I hope I have made a difference in helping to give the community a sense of pride.
What is one thing you’d like to see for the future of Brownwood?
I’d like to see them continue the growth that we’re seeing, bringing in new businesses, doing continued work in beautification, especially in our entranceways to the community. I love what’s going on with the Arts, I think it gives a community a heart and a soul. Things that kids can get involved in and feel good about what their doing. They say that children involved in the arts as a whole, their grades are actually better because it helps with critical thinking. I’d like to see us continue the things that are being done right now.
What makes you proud to live in Brownwood?
It’s my hometown! I love living at the lake, it has been an excellent place for me to build a real estate business. I have been blessed, year after year my business has continued to grow. So I am proud to be part of a small community that does make a difference in other peoples lives.
What does it mean to you to be considered one of the “Leading Ladies of Brownwood?”
Well, it’s most definitely an honor! I am a big fan of the women who have been selected, and to be a part of that group is very special.
