A tale of two Gerald Joneses

Keeping up with the Joneses in Cape Girardeau County can be tricky -- especially considering that two of the county's more prominent Joneses share Gerald as a first name.

One Gerald Jones is Cape Girardeau County's presiding commissioner and owner and president of The Cash-Book Journal in Jackson. The other owns Pyramid Clinical Services Inc. in Cape Girardeau and is president of the Cape Girardeau Country Club Board of Governors.

"I'm the tall, fat Gerald Jones, and he's the short, fat Gerald Jones," said the Jones who runs Pyramid Clinical Services, laughing. "Actually, I tell people I'm the Cape Gerald and he's the Jackson Gerald."

In the seven years since the Cape Gerald Jones moved here from Caruthersville, Mo., there has been plenty of confusion over the names. Phone calls have been misdirected. Letters have ended up at the wrong destination. There was a mix-up at the cleaners a time or two.

Even the Southeast Missourian, a normally careful Cape Girardeau newspaper, ran the wrong picture with a Tuesday sports story on the country club's membership drive, which Cape Gerald Jones is leading.

However, there was only one Gerald Jones in the newspaper's computer photo archive, and the page designer said he didn't even know there were two Gerald Jones.

"This has been the biggest faux pas so far," said Cape Gerald Jones. "But I don't view it as any big deal. None of it has bothered me. It's been kind of interesting."

Jackson Gerald Jones joked that he didn't mind getting the publicity.

"There is not any bad publicity," he said. "I get credit for a lot of things I didn't do. But I suppose he should get credit for the things he does."

Jackson Gerald Jones said he has known of the other Gerald Jones for years. Both played high school football. Jackson's Jones played in Jackson, while Cape's Jones played in Caruthersville.

Jackson Gerald Jones said the first mix-up he can recall was 15 years ago when he was refereeing a high school football game in Caruthersville at a time when Cape Gerald Jones still lived there.

The coach of the team from Washington, Mo., was upset because he thought Jackson Gerald Jones was Cape Girardeau Gerald Jones, who was then Caruthersville Gerald Jones.

(Are you keeping up?)

"The coach from Washington was all out of sorts," Jackson Gerald Jones said. "He thought that I should not be officiating because he thought I was the other Gerald Jones, who played football in Caruthersville and lived in Caruthersville. I told him that wasn't me. But he made me show him my driver's license."

Jackson Gerald Jones said he's never been bothered much by taking the other Gerald Jones' phone calls.

"Guys call and ask if they can get a deal at the country club," Jackson Gerald Jones said. "I said, 'You probably can, but let me get you the other Gerald Jones' phone number.'"

Jackson Gerald Jones probably compounded the problem when he named his son Gerald Jones II.

"He gets some of this too, but in the phone book he goes by Gerry," Jackson Gerald Jones said. "So there are really three of us."

Cape Gerald Jones has had fun with the name game too.

"When we sold our company, he said I should get a listed phone number so he wouldn't keep getting my phone calls," Cape Gerald Jones said. "I said then I ought to give some of the campaign contributions back to him that had been accidentally mailed to me."

Cape Gerald Jones noted that his wife is one of four Joan Joneses who live in Cape Girardeau County. He said he never has been annoyed by the inconvenience.

"I don't let things get to me," he said. "I have pride in my name. If this is the worst thing that ever happens, I got it made."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611