Carol Jones Memorial

Carol Jones, long-time resident and pioneer businesswoman of Springfield, Missouri, passed away peacefully on July 22 at the age of 88. Carol Delores Burggraf was born on May 17, 1933 in Quapaw, Oklahoma the 4th of 6 children of Edward and Lola Burggraf. Her beginnings were humble, living above a gas station on Route 66 run by her family with an outhouse in the backyard. Carol started waiting tables at the age of 12 and continued that work ethic for the next 70 years. She graduated from Quapaw High School in 1951 and moved to Joplin, Missouri to work for a Ford dealership that concentrated in automobile leasing. She was soon married and had her two sons, Doug and Rod, 11 months apart.

In 1963, Carol relocated to Springfield, Missouri and earned her real estate license. With grit and business savvy she became a force in the industry and opened Jones and Company Realtors in 1967, which remained the #1 realtor in Southwest Missouri until 1983. After Carol sold her interest in Jones and Company, she opened Carol Jones Realtors. Within two years under her leadership, it became the top realtor in the region, eventually growing to 7 offices, 425 agents, and billions in sales.

In 1994 Berkshire Hathaway purchased Carol Jones Realtors. Carol stayed on to manage the company in two separate stints until finally retiring in 2008. In addition to her company, Carol amassed an impressive portfolio of real estate holdings in several states.

Her achievements in business led to many awards, including Missourian of the Year, Springfieldian of the Year, ten years on the Federal Home Loan Bank Board as appointed by President Ronald Regan, several years of service on the Missouri Housing Development Commission and she was named Realtor of the Year numerous times over.

While Carol took her job seriously, she was also a character who loved to laugh and have fun. A great practical joker, April 1st was a favorite day. Every year, she devised an elaborate prank to pull on an unsuspecting colleague. She loved to travel the world and always came home with souvenirs and stories of hilarious adventures. On her world travels, Carol never missed an opportunity to hand out a business card, whether it be a waiter in Europe or a fellow guest at a luxury beach resort. You never know who might be looking for a house in Springfield one day.

Carol’s main passion, after real estate, was motivational speaking. As a woman who worked hard to improve her life, she loved helping others realize their potential by changing the way they think. She advocated the use of treasure mapping to visualize their dreams. She was always on a mission to grow as much as possible, was an avid reader, and enjoyed sharing what she learned with others.

Because helping others was a priority for Carol, she shared her prosperity by funding several projects in the region including the Carol Jones Recovery Center for Women, the Carol Jones Writing Center for Disadvantaged Women at Ozark Technical College, several scholarships at Missouri State University and chaired the Salvation Army Tree of Lights campaign for many years.

Carol is preceded in death by her son, Doug Jones of Springfield, Missouri, both of her parents, and all of her siblings. She leaves behind her son, Rodney (Benton) Jones of St. Louis, Missouri, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. She also leaves behind the love of her life for the last 33 years, Ron Tappan of Springfield, Missouri. Carol resided the last 9 years of her life in St. Louis, as she battled dementia. While dementia caused confusion, Carol’s humor and feisty attitude never faded. She was a visionary, motivator, and a woman who pioneered women’s achievement in business. Her favorite quote also sums up her approach to life: “Dream no little dream, for they have no magic in them.”

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