Jones, Chester M. 1917-2004

JONES, CATER, BENESH, ABBOTT, DOWNING

Posted By: Barbara Hug
Date: 3/30/2005 at 16:07:36

GRINNELL -- Chester M. Jones, 86, of Grinnell, formerly a long-time resident of Jasper County, died of cancer Tuesday, June 29, at Skiff Medical Center in Newton.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Grinnell Christian Church. A private family burial will follow at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell is handling arrangements.

Visitation will be held from noon until 8 p.m. today at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell where the family will be present from 6 to 8 p.m. Memorial contributions may be directed to Hospice of Jasper County, Grinnell Christian Church or Grinnell Regional Hospice.

The son of Ralph and Iva Cater Jones, he was born Sept. 13, 1917, in Pangburn, Ark. He grew up in Arkansas, Missouri and Iowa and attended country schools in Iowa. He worked for Douglas Aircraft in California during World War II and returned to Iowa following the war. He was involved in farming and various other occupations until the late 1940's when he worked in the tile drainage business. In 1959, he started his own business in underground water management and soil conservation and worked until his retirement in 2002. In March 1938, he married Dorothy Benesh and the couple made their home in several communities in Iowa prior to moving to Newton. They were later divorced and he married Jolene Abbott Downing on April 30, 1967, in Moberly, Mo. The couple purchased a farm north of Kellogg and resided there until December of 2003 when they moved to Seeland Park in Grinnell.

Mr. Jones was active in Land Improvement Contractors Association for several years and was a member of the Grinnell Christian Church.

Survivors include his wife, Jolene of Grinnell; three daughters, Maretta Grattan of Grinnell, Vy Dean Christianson of Rapid City, S.D., and Tommilu Wahrman of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; two sons, Wayne Jones of LaCrosse, Wis., and Clifford Stanley Downing of Kellogg; two sisters, Alma Sweger of Rockford, Ill., and Shirley Howk of LaMars; one brother, Clyde Haines of Tampa, Fla.; 14 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, and one daughter, Norlene Williams. ~ Newton Daily News, Thursday, July 1, 2004