Mary Jones

Mary Elizabeth (Swanson) Jones passed away on February 26, a few days short of her 80th birthday, in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. Funeral services are set for 11:00 a.m. on March 1 at St. John Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine, with burial in Oakwood Cemetery there. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, February 29 at Kolden Funeral Home in Belle Plaine. Mary was born in Sioux City, Iowa on March 18, 1936, to Thomas Victor and Isabel (Countermine) Swanson. She moved with her family in 1948 to Des Moines, where she graduated from North High School. She was an alumnus of Iowa State University and the American Institute of Business. After her marriage to E. Dean Jones, Sr. in Omaha in 1962, she worked as an editor at Bankers Life Company in Des Moines and briefly taught English as a second language. She and her husband, a marketing executive, raised four children and were active church members, finally retiring to the Minneapolis area in 2003. In 1979, she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior, and her commitment to God became a central part of her life. Her dedication to living a life of faith, love, and service grew throughout her life, remaining to her last days. A talented artist, writer, and musician, Mary was also known for her gentle sense of humor, her many friends, her devotion to her husband and children, and her Christian faith. She was extraordinarily creative, which she expressed through drawing, sewing, gardening, and cooking. She loved to read, especially the Bible, biblical commentary, and mystery novels, and had a passion for crossword puzzles and Scrabble. With her perfect pitch and prodigious musical talent, she was the heart and soul of her family's vocal trio and piano combo. Mary was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, E. Dean Jones, Sr. of Belle Plaine; and her four children, E. Dean Jones II of Bentonville, Arkansas, Margaret Bengtson of Dallas, and Thom and Sarah Jones of Minneapolis. Other survivors include her two granddaughters, Isabel and Reilly Bengtson, and her sister, Peggy Troy of Omaha. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to The Lutheran Home of Belle Plaine or the Ridgeview Foundation, Ridgeview Medical Center, in Waconia, Minnesota.

Previous Events

Cemetery Details