Milton "Bill" Jones
Milton “Bill” C. Jones, 84, of Harpers Ferry died Friday, October 20, 2023 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. A celebration of life will be held from 12-3 p.m. Saturday, October 28 at Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon. Burial with military honors will follow at Sixteen Cemetery in rural Monona.
Milton “Bill” C. Jones was born July 6, 1939 in Luana, one of 12 children of Andrew Nathan and Floy Olive (Clawson) Jones. He attended Ion country schools and, at age 17, joined the U.S. Navy. He served a total of six years and was stationed all around the world as a submarine tender.
August 20, 1966, Bill married Ramona Platten in Monona. He worked in Cedar Rapids for a couple years before going to Northern Engraving in Waukon. In 1975, Bill bought his Caterpillar bulldozer and helped farmers with terracing, building ponds and removing trees. In the early 1990s, he returned to Northern Engraving as a maintenance man, retiring in 2002.
Bill never could sit still. He was always building or making something at home; he’d see something on TV and think “I can make that,” whether it was a thing he needed or not. He was currently making live traps and Bill once built a motorized chicken plucker, even though they never owned chickens - but it worked great!
When he was younger, Bill raced stock cars and continued fixing cars throughout his life. He loved golfing, hunting, fishing, and just being outside. He always had a dog with him and raised coonhounds at one point. Bill and Mona were also well known to take in and raise a menagerie of abandoned animals like squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, owls and muskrats before releasing them back to the wild.
He is survived by his wife, Mona, of Harpers Ferry; his son, Andy (Tara) Jones of Harpers Ferry; his daughter, Amy (Greg) Kazynski of Marquette; four grandchildren: Raymond (Chelsey) Jones, Nathan (Chelsea) Jones, Aaron (Becky) Jones and Corissa (Mike) Bothel; seven step-grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; nine step-great-grandchildren; two brothers, Dayton (Katey) Jones of Waukon Junction and Leon (Linda) Jones of Cedar Rapids; a sister, Janet Miller of Waukon; and a sister-in-law, Florence Jones of Harpers Ferry.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter-in-law, Shannon Jones; his brothers, John “Jack” and Carlton (Helen) Jones; his sisters: Pearl Hamm, Helen Brown, Irene Benzing, Lorraine Schlitter Hamm, Vera Redalen House and Ruth Hamm; and his brothers-in-law: Harmon Hamm, Dar Brown, Bob Benzing, Marvel Redalen, Lyle House and Guy Hamm.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
