The 50th member of the Oconto Falls Wall of Fame, Maggie Jones, was inducted June 1 at the 2014 high school graduation ceremonies.
The Wall of Fame honors former graduates who have been successful in life, as selected by the Class of 50 past. This year, it a member of the Class of 1964. For each member inducted, a plaque is hung in the high school hallway.
Jones grew up in Oconto Falls, the third of Vic and Jerry Bast’s six children. Her grandmother, her aunts and her mother were all teachers, and her father was a teacher and a principal at Washington Junior High School.
Jones credited the positive influence of her parents, as well as her leaders in Girl Scouts, Busy Nook 4-H, St. Anthony Church and other youth activities in Oconto Falls, for pointing her toward a future of community service.
She gained leadership skills through her high school experience in forensics, drama, solo and ensemble, National Honor Society and Badger Girls State. She credited OFHS, its staff and the close-knit, small-town atmosphere for allowing her to explore a variety of activities, learn new skills and discover a wide range of opportunities in a positive and encouraging environment.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 1968 and worked 15 years as a librarian and substitute teacher in the Elmbrook, Neenah and Iola school districts.
In 1986, she and her husband, Joe, founded Jones Publishing Inc. Combining her husband’s entrepreneurial spirit with her dedication, love of learning and willingness to take on new challenges, they grew their company to 44 employees, publishing nine national magazines.
While working and raising their children, Ryan and Melanie, Jones held leadership roles in several groups. She learned from the Jaycee creed that “Service to humanity is the best work of life.” In 1982 she was awarded the Elsie Daggett Award, Jaycee women’s highest award for community service.
She served twice as president of her Lioness club, and she served on various boards, including the Outagamie-Waupaca Library Board, the Iola Hospital and Nursing Home board, and the Winchester Academy board.
She volunteers with the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, the American Red Cross and is an eye tissue transporter. In 2005 she travelled to New Orleans to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In 2003 she was named a Paul Harris fellow by Rotary International.
Her family has hosted exchange students from Japan, Germany and Finland, creating lasting, worldwide friendships. She and her husband, Joe, live in Iola.
She said she has often been guided by her mother’s advice: “If you’re asked to do something, and you have the ability to do it, then it’s your responsibility to give back to the community.”
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