Elizabeth Annette Toner Jones

Elizabeth Annette Toner Jones died Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at the Wray Community District Hospital, she was 84 years old.

Annette was born on March 20, 1941, to Fred and Ruth Engel in Vernon, Colorado. She was the oldest of three daughters born at home on the family farm. In 1948 her mother divorced Fred and married Ed Engel and the family moved to Idalia, Colorado, where soon after a fourth daughter was born. The girls attended the Idalia School; during high school Annette met the love of her life, James R. “Dick” Toner, at a dance at the Wauneta Hall. Annette graduated from Idalia High School in 1959 and moved to Denver, Colorado to attend Colorado Business College where she earned an associate’s degree in business. She lived with Judge Finestein and his family where she earned her room and board as a nanny. It is said that this is where Annette learned her sense of fashion, social skills and etiquette. On the weekends she rode the bus home to Idalia to visit her parents and boyfriend. On August 13, 1961, in the Wray United Methodist Church she married that boyfriend, Dick, and became Mrs. Annette Toner. The new couple moved to Sterling, Colorado and together they discovered a love for agriculture on a little farm next to the river. In 1964 they welcomed a baby girl, Susan, into their life. In 1969, Dick and Annette decided he should further his education and enroll in college. Annette put her business education to work and returned to the workforce full-time. A couple of years later they sold the farm and moved to Fort Collins. While Dick was finishing his college, Annette continued her secretarial and bookkeeping work with Production Credit Association.

In 1971 the family again relocated, this time to Grover, Colorado, and soon after adopted a handsome baby boy, Jim. Dick was employed as the Vocational Agriculture teacher, and Annette discovered a new love: School Bus Driving! She obtained a CDL license and a bus route in the country, and twice a day she hauled a bunch of kids to and from school. She immersed herself in the community: she was the fabulous looking Ag Teacher’s wife; she accompanied Dick to all the fairs, FFA banquets, State and National conventions and judging contests; she attended all the high school football and basketball games, sometimes even driving the team bus; she joined Club where the women made pounds of noodles and angel food cake, as well as drank a lot of coffee and swapped stories; she attended the local non-denominational church; she sewed her own and her family’s clothes; she did the chores on their little farm; she helped her kids participate in 4-H; she raised a family.

In 1975 Annette and Dick decided to return to the Toner family farm west of Wray. While Dick was teaching school in Idalia, Annette kept the farm in line. She grew a massive garden, raised chickens, and took turns driving the tractor during planting, haying, and feeding times. She helped her kids with their 4-H projects and kept after them to “get those record books done!”. She learned new skills from Dick, including construction, electricity, plumbing, and animal husbandry. She worked alongside Dick ear tagging and vaccinating baby calves and pigs and brought them inside to warm them in the winter. Annette was more than a farm wife - she was the rock of the family. In 1979, Dick retired to farm full-time and Annette resumed her school bus driving with the Wray School District and Bus #5. When times got hard in 1984, Dick returned to teaching in Yuma and Annette picked up a second job as secretary/bookkeeper for Wisdom Construction, which she did between bus route schedules. And yet, she found time to spoil the bus kids and the construction guys with home-made goodies and snacks.

Her world was devastated in 1989 when she lost her husband to a chronic illness. But she did not quit life. She continued the farm, her bus route and secretarial job. She made sure her son graduated from high school and grew into a man. She was there for the birth of her first two grandsons. She discovered a new passion of cross-stitch and quilting. And then she met another man who captured her heart, Kent Jones.

Annette and Kent married July 18, 1994 in the Wray United Methodist Church. With this marriage she acquired two adult stepsons, Kendell and Kerry Jones. She welcomed them and their children into her heart and life. For two years Annette and Kent lived in Quincy, Illinois, then moved to Jefferson City, Missouri where they lived for the next 26 years. While in Missouri, Annette retired from working and immersed herself in sewing, quilting and crafting everything from Christmas tree ornaments to king-sized quilts. Her cross stitching became masterful works of art. She was always mindful to initial and date all her work. Annette and Kent loved to travel, always by car and taking the back roads so they could enjoy the ride and visit their children and grandchildren. They attended auctions and bought and restored furniture that they would sell, along with her quilts and crafts, at their three-day spring yard sale. They shared a full and busy life until Kent passed in 2022.

In July 2022 Annette returned home to Wray where she re-established her life-long friendships and added new friends to her coffee circle. She reconnected with many cousins and drove to many grandsons’ football games and wrestling meets. She met her new great grandsons. She renewed her membership in the Methodist Church. She continued her quilting and cross-stitch, making sure everyone got a handmade Christmas stocking. And she developed a special bond with Afton her grand dog who was there for her last breath. Annette shared her love with every stitch she made in life.

Annette is survived by her daughter Sue Krautkramer and Josh of Wray, CO and son, Jim Toner and Nikki of Grant, NE. Grandchildren Garrett Toner and Amy and great-grandchildren Dyson and Jaylen of Ogalla, NE; Brennan Toner and Stephanie and great-granddaughter Arabella of North Platte, NE; Chase Toner of North Platte, NE; Makenzie Toner and Reuben Montoya and great-grandson Ariel of North Platte, NE; and Mason Toner of Ogallala, NE; grand-dog Afton Krautkramer of Wray. Sisters Katherine Thomason of Wray, CO and Darlene Ehlers and Mike of Theresa, WI and brothers-in-law Ed Bates of Colorado Springs, CO and Dean Toner and Diana of Cozad, NE. Many nieces and nephews.

Annette was preceded by death by first husband Dick Toner, second husband Kent Jones. Sister Janice Wier and husband Joe. Mother and stepfather Ruth and Ed Engel. Father Fred Engel. Sisters-in-Law Barbara (Toner) Witte and husband Dean and Judy (Toner) Bates, niece-in-law Carmen Witte and nephew Bill Witte.