Lavana Jones Kindle

Lavana Kay Jones Kindle is the oldest of three daughters born to Harvey (Buster) Lavaughn (thus her name) Jones and Ira Bea Reddin Jones Huggins. Harvey and Ira fell in love the first time they laid eyes on each other in the school cafeteria, where Harvey worked, at A&M College (now the University of Arkansas at Monticello). Ira was a freshman, and Harvey was an upper classman. The couple decided to elope to Leland, Mississippi, during the Christmas holidays and married before a Justice of the Peace on December 31, 1955.

The story goes that as a young married couple, Harvey and Ira rented the back space of Cruce Grocery located on the south side of campus where the Red Barn is located now. Her dad graduated from A&M in 1956, and her mom graduated in 1959. Later, they lived above the Monticello fire station, where Harvey was a volunteer fireman. Lavana lived in Monticello the first two years of her life.

A move to McGehee was for Harvey to take a job as a salesman for Hollis Ford Motor Company, where Lavana and her two younger sisters, Rebecca (Becky) Gail Jones Settlemyer and Nina Suzanne (Susie) Jones Khoury, spent some of their growing up years. It was in this setting that Lavana developed her dad’s appreciation for cars, especially mint condition vintage ones. Lavana’s husband, Lee, bought her a 1965 red Mustang in 2008!

Lavana, affectionately called "Moo Moo" by her grandchildren and “Mrs. Lavana” by her students, has worked in the field of education for more than 30 years. She has taught Kindergarten to 12th grade and holds a teaching certification with the Association of Christian Teachers and Schools. She has taught in higher education and worked in administration for more than 20 years and retired from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas, in October 2020. At that time, she transitioned to being a mental health therapist at Newhaven Counseling and Health Services (formerly South Arkansas Regional Health Center) and retired there in February 2024.

Lavana graduated from Warren High School in Warren, Arkansas. She holds a B.S. degree in Sociology from Ouachita Baptist University, a Master of Science degree in Social Agency Counseling from Henderson State University, and a Master of Education degree from Southern Arkansas University. Lavana is a Licensed Professional Counselor in part-time Christian private practice in Arkansas (and formerly in Colorado) and is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. She is available for in-person sessions as well as telehealth via Zoom in Arkansas.

Lee and Lavana have been married over 45 years. They have two grown married daughters, six granddaughters, one not very spoiled grandson, and are also great-grandparents! Lavana and her family have lived twice overseas in Haiti when their children were young, where they did lay mission work. Other countries she has visited for pleasure and mission trips include Ghana, West Africa, where she taught music in the model school for the country's government, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Canada, and Romania. Besides travel, other passions include collecting and playing woodwinds, stringed instruments, and keyboards, cooking, and camping. She and Lee love entertaining and traveling! Family means the world to them and preserving some of these stories has meant so much to Lavana. It is her prayer that the stories contained within this book will be meaningful and a blessing to the reader, too!