Ilona K. Atwell (Jones) was born October 27, 1943 in Passaic, New Jersey to Keith O. Jones and Helen Cherup Jones. She traveled for many years as her father was a WWII glider pilot in the Army. She lived in many places including Europe and Tunisia. She graduated from Rapid City High School in Rapid City, South Dakota in 1962.

Ilona married John (Jack) Atwell in 1970 in Leonardsville, NY and they resided in Bridgewater, NY for several years. They celebrated 54 years of marriage this year, in 2024.

Ilona was an avid reader and spent many days at the West Winfield Free Library.  She was notorious for taking out several books each week. She loved a good mystery and James Michener was one of her all time favorite writers. 

She raised three children and was constantly busy as a domestic homemaker making homemade dinners every night. She was a chauffeur to sport practices, summer events, and all things that busy children require.

She was a babysitter and Mimi to many grandchildren while in Bridgewater. The past three years she was in Florida with her daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Mike Fairbank. She loved to cook meals, bake cookies, swim in the pool, and thrift shop. She also went to the West Melbourne Library on cue, every 3 weeks. Though she was not a fan of leaving the house much, she enjoyed expressing her love through food. 

As time went on, her eyesight began to fail, but she was still able to read using her headlamp, which Colby affectionately referred to her as, “Miner Mimi.” Her Florida family enjoyed several fabulous meals, because she cooked for hours. These meals included spaghetti sauce, stuffed cabbage, and chicken soup (the long version of making your own stock).  She was constantly baking from her stack of cookbooks and she loved all things  Ina Garden. 

She is survived by her husband John (Jack) Atwell of New Hartford, NY, son James and daughter-in-law Sharon Atwell of Becket, MA, daughter JoAnn (Atwell) Uebler and Gene Uebler of Walsenburg, CO, and daughter Jennifer (Atwell) Fairbank and Michael Fairbank of West Melbourne, FL, a sister Veronica Baldwin, of Georgia and she was predeceased by her brother Richard Jones of New York State .

Ilona was a Mimi to eight grandchildren. Callie and Devon Atwell of Becket, MA; Robert Uebler, Shannon Uebler, Jessica (Uebler) Jolly, Rebecca (Uebler) Palmer all of Colorado, and Colby and Tanner Fairbank of West Melbourne, Florida.  She also has 6 great grands, Lillyannah, Addison, Olivia, Jaelynn, Jeanlee and Nash all of Colorado.

Ilona made many friends in Florida. She found joy in a conversation about life, and anything medical and book related.  She has forever made an impact on several lives.  Literacy for all was very important to her.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the West Winfield Library, in West Winfield, NY