John Jones, Sr.

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John M. Jones, Sr., 97, of Faulkton, died Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at the Faulkton Area Medical Center.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at the United Church of Faulkton with Pastor Bill Hoffman officiating. Visitation was held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 21, 2014, with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service at Luce Funeral Home, Faulkton.  Burial followed at West Lawn Cemetery, Letcher, SD.

John was born November 12, 1916 in Mitchell, SD to Daniel Harvey and Minnie (Harmon) Jones. He attended school in the Letcher area through the 8^th grade and also one year of welding school in Mitchell.

At the age of 16 John left home and moved to Minnesota where he worked as a hired man for a farmer. He then traveled to California with a brother, camping along the way, where they briefly owned a gas station.  John then moved to Ohio to live with his Aunt Mary in Canton where he worked in a cement plant.

He moved to Pennsylvania about 1943 and worked for the Budd Company, working on railroad cars, an appliance repair company and at the Heintz Corporation for 17 years.

On June 8, 1946 John was united in marriage to Marie Louise Beck at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Manayunk, Philadelphia, PA and they made their home in Philadelphia. In 1967 the family moved to Archer, FL where they resided for the next 39 years. John worked as a maintenance supervisor for the University of Florida, retiring in 1982. John and Marie moved to Faulkton in June 2004 to be closer to their son, John Jr.

John had a passion for gardening, both vegetables and flowers. He loved getting his hands into the soil and sharing his crops with family and friends. John will be remembered as a man with a heart of gold!

His life will be cherished by his wife, Marie, Faulkton; his children: John (Earlene) Jones Jr., Faulkton and Virginia (Marty) Boyer, Orange Park, FL; his grandchildren: Lorey Jones, Faulkton, John (Jennie) Jones III, Brandon, FL, Karen (Brad) DeBlauw, Huntsville, AL and Scott (Kara) Atwater, German Valley, IL; four great grandchildren; one great-great granddaughter; one brother, Ralph (Mildred) Jones, Newberry, FL and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers: Sylvester “Pete”, Donald and Roger; one sister, Dorothy (Otter) Parker and a half-brother, Herman.

Luce Funeral Home of Faulkton has been entrusted with John’s arrangements.