Jones, Francis Milton (1920-2000)

JONES, HARRISON, BENNETT, WOOD, SIPMA, OXENFORD

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 12/12/2020 at 10:52:00

Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa, Friday, May 19, 2000

Francis M. Jones, 80, Le Mars, died Wednesday, May 17, 2000 at Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars. Memorial services will be Monday at 11 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Hinton with Rev. Sara Malone officiating. His body was cremated and burial will be in the Memorial Cemetery in Le Mars. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services at the church.

Francis Milton Jones, born March 4, 1920 in Hinton, the son of Stewert and Violet Harrison Jones. He graduted from Hinton High School and Morningside College where he was a North Central All-Conference Guard in basketball and was president of the student body at Morningside. He received his masters degree from the University of South Dakota.

During World War II, he spent two and one-half years in the Pacific Theatre as a Marine, and participated in the battle of Iwo Jima and the occupation of Japan.

He married Myrna Bennett on August 22, 1946 in Anthon, Iowa. He coached basketball in Newell, Sioux Center, Le Mars and Webster City high schools, taking five teams to state tournament play. He was selected as the Sioux City Journal's first Coach of the Year in 1951, while at Sioux Center.

He was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Coaches Hall of Fame and the Morningside College Players Hall of Fame. He was the high school principal at Laurens-Marathon for 11 years.

Survivors are his wife, Myrna, Le Mars, a daughter and son-in-law, Jill and Randall Wood of San Diego, CA., two grandchildren, Jennifer Jones of Seattle, WA., and Megan Wood of San Diego, CA.; a brother Lamar Jones of Spirit Lake, two sisters Cleo Sipma, Hinton and Elaine Oxenford of Cedar Rapids.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Alan M. Jones