Shirley Farris Jones, Civil War historian and community activist, retired from Middle Tennessee State University, where she had been a staff member for more than thirty years. She has served as President of the Rutherford County Historical Society, the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, Friends of Stones River National Battlefield, and the Martha Ready Morgan Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. In 2003, she was one of the founding members of the Middle Tennessee Civil War Round Table. She is also a member of the Morgan's Men Association, Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of 1812, Colonial Dames XVII Century, and Daughters of the American Colonists.
A direct descendant of two Confederate great-grandfathers, Ms. Jones states that "Civil War history is more than just a hobby; it has been a passion since childhood." She has had numerous Civil War related articles published over the past three decades and is the author of four books, including "Letters to Mary: the Civil War Diary of Dr. John Kennerly Farris", "Harvey Calvin Neese: from Coffee County to Cripple Creek", "The Un-Civil War in Middle Tennessee", and "Murfreesboro in the Civil War", co-authored with Dr. Michael Bradley. She is currently working on a revision for a second printing of "Letters to Mary " to be released in 2014 .
Ms. Jones has done extensive research on Martha Ready Morgan, including work for artist John Paul Strain in 1993 for his limited edition print, "Morgan's Wedding." In 2004, she was awarded the Jefferson Davis Historical Award for Writing and Research for "Martha Ready Morgan: from wife to widow in 630 days", presented by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Ms. Jones is a lifelong resident of Murfreesboro, attended Middle Tennessee State University, and is a graduate of Knox Business College and Leadership Rutherford. She is married to Jerry Jones and they are the parents of one son, Jeff. She has been actively involved in historic preservation efforts throughout the community for many years.

Shirley Farris Jones, Civil War historian and community activist, retired from Middle Tennessee State University, where she had been a staff member for more than thirty years. She has served as President of the Rutherford County Historical Society, the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, Friends of Stones River National Battlefield, and the Martha Ready Morgan Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. In 2003, she was one of the founding members of the Middle Tennessee Civil War Round Table. She is also a member of the Morgan's Men Association, Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of 1812, Colonial Dames XVII Century, and Daughters of the American Colonists.
A direct descendant of two Confederate great-grandfathers, Ms. Jones states that "Civil War history is more than just a hobby; it has been a passion since childhood." She has had numerous Civil War related articles published over the past three decades and is the author of four books, including "Letters to Mary: the Civil War Diary of Dr. John Kennerly Farris", "Harvey Calvin Neese: from Coffee County to Cripple Creek", "The Un-Civil War in Middle Tennessee", and "Murfreesboro in the Civil War", co-authored with Dr. Michael Bradley. She is currently working on a revision for a second printing of "Letters to Mary " to be released in 2014 .
Ms. Jones has done extensive research on Martha Ready Morgan, including work for artist John Paul Strain in 1993 for his limited edition print, "Morgan's Wedding." In 2004, she was awarded the Jefferson Davis Historical Award for Writing and Research for "Martha Ready Morgan: from wife to widow in 630 days", presented by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Ms. Jones is a lifelong resident of Murfreesboro, attended Middle Tennessee State University, and is a graduate of Knox Business College and Leadership Rutherford. She is married to Jerry Jones and they are the parents of one son, Jeff. She has been actively involved in historic preservation efforts throughout the community for many years.