Norma Atherholt Jones died Friday, August 28 at her home with her daughter Deborah by her side. She was 91.

Norma was born in Norwood, Pa. to Stella Flannigan and William Isaac Atherholt. She graduated from Glennor High School. Upon graduation she worked as a secretary for an insurance company in Philadelphia.

When she was 21 Norma and her mother boarded a train to an Air Base in Casper, Wyo. for Norma to marry her boyfriend, Oliver Cromwell Jones. They spent three weeks together before he was sent overseas. Three months later his plane was shot down over England. After many tearful months along came her Prince Charming. A neighbor introduced her to a friend of her husband’s who had just returned from being a POW in Poland. Within a year Norma married Curtis S. Jones and they enjoyed 68 years of friendship and marriage.

After marrying, Norma and Curtis lived in Wallingford, Pa., Beaver, Pa., Richmond, Va., and East Liverpool, Ohio, finally retiring in Swarthmore, Pa. for 16 years. At the urging of her daughter they moved to Martha’s Vineyard and resided at Havenside. They loved their apartment and the tenants.

Norma loved the time spent with her grandchildren and always tried to make the time special. She loved having the family for Sunday dinners which always started with grace and then was followed with board games.

She loved to travel and attended 29 Elderhostels all over the world with her husband. She was a member of Women’s Club and was active in three bridge groups. A lifelong Episcopalian, she said one of her favorite things was being on Altar Guild. Her favorite holiday was the Fourth of July.

Norma believed in friendship, family, and fellowship. Many of her friends and relationships date back 70 years as she remained in contact with birthday and holiday cards.

Norma is survived by her brother Gordon Atherholt and his wife Rita, her daughter Nancy VanBlaricum and her husband Paul and granddaughter Brynn VanBlaricum, daughter Deborah Koines, her husband Peter, granddaughter Erica Koines and her partner Joseph Zapata, and great grandson T.J. Zapata, granddaughter Olivia Giordano and her husband Carl, and grandson Nicholas Koines. She was predeceased by her sister Florence.

Services will be held Saturday, Sept. 12, at 4:00 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church in Vineyard Haven.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either Grace Church or the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs. Visit www.ccgfuneralhome.com for an online guestbook.