Judge Jones

State Judge Jerome Jones died Saturday in his home in Nassau Bay. He was 79. I met him once briefly last year, a courtly old gent. (See ZDD Oct. 29 ‘07) According to his obituary in The Chronicle he worked with the Texas Legislature in the 1970’s to modernize a probate law system that dated from the 1870’s.

The following is a story the twice-divorced judge told to “Say What,” at texasbar.com:

“From Judge Jerome Jones, probate judge in Galveston, this marvelous exchange - which took place in a will contest trial when the attorney was examining "a woman friend" of the deceased.

Q. And so you had a conversation with the deceased prior to his death.

A. Yes, I did.

Q. When was this?

A. About three months after his wife's death.

Q. What did he say?

A. Well, he asked me to marry him.

Q. And what did you say?

A. I said, "Isn't that a little bit soon?"

Q. And what did he say?

A. He said, "Well, she's as dead as she's ever gonna be."