William H. (Bill) Jones

William H. (Bill) Jones, age 74, Moses Lake, passed away at home on Tuesday, March 15 after a brief struggle with cancer. Friends and relatives are invited to a memorial celebration at the Best Western Lake Inn in Moses Lake at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 19.

Bill was born June 27, 1930 in Yakima to the late Eldon Mansfield Jones and Bessie Lee Mersereau-Jones, where he and his brothers George K. and Elbridge M. (Bud) Jones, and sisters Dulcie, Barbara (Peggy), Norma (Pat), Addie, Pearle and Ruth were raised and educated. He married Jean McDonald in 1950. The couple had six children, Mark Kenneth Jones, Constance Anita Jones-Madsen, Thomas Jones, Toni Marlene Jones-Humble, Lana Lorene Jones-Burwell and Kelly Edward Jones. The marriage dissolved in 1992.

Bill graduated from high school in Naches with the class of 1948. He was involved in agriculture his entire life, farming in the Sunnyside area, the Roza Project near Prosser and then moved back to Moses Lake in 1954. He felt that his greatest achievement was opening the Black Sands and farming 10,000 acres with Don Worley in the 1970s.

He enjoyed fishing and later in life traveling the USA with his longtime companion and good buddy, Lu Jobin. His later involvement in the Community Garden gave him a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure.

Survivors include his companion, Lu Jobin of Moses Lake and her family; two sons and daughters-in-law; three daughters and sons-in-law; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by sister Ruth at age 5, son Tommy at 7 months, brothers Bud and George. May you rest in peace and enjoy tranquility.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation, 386 Park Ave. So., New York, NY 10016 or the Central Basin Home Health and Hospice, 311 W. Third Ave., Moses Lake, Wash.