Dorothy Sarah Jones

Dorothy (Dot) Sarah Hunt Jones was born on her parent’s farm near Vashti, ND on November 12, 1925, fifteen minutes after her twin sister, Louise Victoria, daughters of Ralph Bennett and Hazel Josephine Pryor Hunt. In 1930, the family moved to Indianola, Iowa, where she and her three sisters were raised and attended school. As a youth, Dot attended dancing classes and performed at recitals, played softball, sang in Glee Club, played saxophone, and graduated from high school in 1943. Trained as a secretary, during WWII, she worked at Solar Aircraft in Des Moines and modeled hats at Utica Department Store. On July 4, 1945, Dot met Major Dale Carl Jones, from Grand River, Iowa, a handsome B-25 bomber pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps, at Babe’s Restaurant in Des Moines. They married on August 11, 1945, in Alexandria, Louisiana and soon moved back to Iowa where they opened Jones Food Market and Meat Locker Plant in Menlo. Dot and Dale became the parents of Cynthia, Gary, Maria, and Robert. In 1957, they sold their grocery business and began a livestock and grain operation for 27 years before retiring and moving to Osceola, Iowa in 1984. Dot was active in a variety of community clubs, served on the election board, was a 4-H Leader, and she and Dale taught bridge to many young couples. In 1974, Dot lost her right leg to bone cancer and she persevered valiantly – never complaining. She pursued a passion for genealogy - typing family data, researching at court houses, cemeteries, libraries, newspapers, and correspondence. Her father had kept complete diaries during his military service in France and Germany in WWI, and she typed what was to become a book, The Diaries & Letters of a Private. She went on to publish three additional books: Historic Hopeville and Vicinity; The Family of Benjamin J. Hamilton; and The Family of Umphrey and Elizabeth Parry Jones and other family histories . Dot also worked diligently as a county researcher where she organized volunteers to record every tombstone in every cemetery in Clarke County, Iowa and donated her works to the Osceola Library and Historical Society. She was also an avid reader, writer, and a quilter. During their retirement in the 1970’s, Dot and Dale were “snowbirds” and spent many winters in New Braunsfels, TX. After Dale’s death, Dot moved to Litchfield, MN in 2009. She resided at Ecumen and enjoyed playing her life-long passion – bridge, as well as other card games and socializing with friends. She knew no stranger. Dot became known to her grandchildren as “Grandma Noodles” as her homemade noodles were legendary for family gatherings. Many letters from her family were sent to “Grandma Noodles”. Dot was devoted to her family and they were to her. She is survived by her children: Cindy (Alan) Lite of Port St. Lucie, FL; Gary (Cathy) Jones of Osceola, IA; Maria (Peter) Balbo of Litchfield, MN; and Bob (Kristin) Jones of Norwalk, IA; grandchildren: Melanie Lite (Prairie) Matthews; Steve (Sharon) Lite; Scott (Diane) Jones; Eric (Nickie) Jones; Jessica Balbo (Jason) Bojar; Alysha (Ben) Kellner; and Samantha (Tom) Brink; 14 Great-grandchildren: Austin, Tyler (Robin) & Kylee Jones and Jordan and Lilly Jones; Jaidon and Sophina Matthews; Annabella Rose & Skylar Lite, Marlowe Bojar, Kora Kellner; and Cadence, Aydin, & Clayton Gaiser; great-great grandson: Coy Jones; step grandchildren: Darrin (Christine) & Chris (Jessica) Brown; Tracy (Doug) Streiff, Deb Sposito, and Mike (Amber) Hagen; step great-grandchildren Annabella Grace & Gabriel Rivera; Bailey, Presley, Harper, Emily & Kylie Brown, Tia & Cooper Sposito, and Oakley Hagen; sisters-in-law: Betty Jones Ogbourne & Marie Jones, many nieces, nephews, family & friends. Dot was preceded in death by her husband Dale, sisters & spouses Louise & Ivel Miller; Donna & Jim Houghtalin; Ruth & James Radford; sister & brother in-laws Iris & Jim Jimerson, James Jones, Al Ogbourne; step-grandson, Travis Hagen; and, great nephew, Joshua Walz.