Cancer

Jenny Lou Bankhead Jenny Lou Bankhead, a Senior Legal Assistant at Baker Hughes Incorporated, died peacefully on Monday, September 17 at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas. She was 54. Ms. Bankhead's death followed a three year battle with cancer. Born and raised in Tyler, Texas, Ms. Bankhead graduated from John Tyler High School in 1971. A 1975 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Ms. Bankhead was a social worker in the Tyler area during the late 1970s. In 1981, she began a second career as a sales assistant at E.F. Hutton and Company in Austin, Texas, where she worked until becoming an operations manager at Dean Witter Reynolds, Incorporated in 1984. Continuing to pursue her evolving interests, Ms. Bankhead earned a Paralegal Certificate from Southwest Texas State University in 1989. From June 1989 until her death, she worked as a legal assistant for firms in Austin, including Graves, Dougherty, Hearon and Moody, P.C., and in Houston, where she moved in 2000. At Baker Hughes Incorporated, she assisted real estate counsel in providing corporate legal support for global oilfield services. After an extended courtship, she and Paul W. Jones of Austin were united in marriage on June 19, 1993. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. and Mrs. A.J. Bankhead. She is survived by Paul W. Jones, her devoted husband of 14 years; her sisters, Sara Shepherd (Tyler), Judy Bankhead (Arp), Kathy Seitzman (Austin) and Molly Bankhead (Arp); her stepchildren, Amy Kupfer (Austin), Melissa Harris (LaGrange) and Nathan Jones (Kyle) and five grandchildren; her nieces, Rachel Shepherd (San Antonio) and Lyn Shepherd (Houston); and her nephews, Nathan and Adam Seitzman (Austin). A graveside service was held on Saturday, September 22 at 1:00 p.m. at Cathedral in the Pines, with arrangements made by Lloyd James Funeral Home in Tyler. Pallbearers were her husband Paul W. Jones and members of her family's next generation: Amy Kupfer, Melissa Harris, Nathan Jones, Rachel Shepherd, Lyn Shepherd, Nathan Seitzman, Adam Seitzman and Laura Ramsel. If wished, memorial contributions can be made to The Boys and Girls Clubs of America in Austin, Texas www.bgcca.net/mis sion.html

Sherry Holden (Hansford)

 Jenny and I became friends at Dixie but she was my savior in Mr. Cole's ? Biology class.  I struggled with that class and she was my willing tutor. (guess she did something right as I actually taught it later)  She lived down the road from me so we often rode a bus together.  One of the sweetest girls.  I am sorry I lost contact and was never really able to tell her how special she was to me.

Published in Austin American-Statesman on Sept. 22, 2007