John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones, age 89, of Marshall, Minnesota, passed away on August 27, 2022, at the Avera Morningside Heights Care Center. A family service is planned with interment in the Marshall Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Shriners Children’s Hospital.
He was born in Canby, Minnesota on June 3, 1933, to Floyd and Esther Jones. He was raised on a farm there and graduated from Canby High School. In 1952, he was united in marriage to JoAnn Frank, also of Canby, and they were blessed with five children. The couple and their oldest three children moved from Canby to Marshall in 1960 before making their home in rural Russell. John was a salesman for O’Connell Ford in Marshall where he was sponsored by them and Schwan’s, as their first stock car racer, #99, in the mid ‘60’s. John was awarded membership in the Ford 500 Club in recognition of outstanding sales in 1962. He then began working for Case and in 1966 received their Twin Cities Branch Top Dealer Salesman Award. In 1973, the couple and their two youngest children moved to a home outside of Northfield. John then worked again as a Ford salesman in Rosemount. He later owned and operated his own business, building heavy duty trailers in Apple Valley and eventually moving it to Savage. Even after retiring, he continued to stay active buying and selling equipment. His passion was keeping up with and watching NASCAR racing. Along with his wife, JoAnn, he loved RVing and traveling, especially their trip to Alaska. They also enjoyed sitting by the Mississippi River at Lake City and Red Wing and feeding the birds and squirrels there. John also liked calling to “his” rabbits in the yard, who knew his voice. He continually stayed busy working on numerous vehicles and projects. In October of 2021, after living in Northfield for nearly 50 years, John and JoAnn moved into Hill Street Place in Marshall.
John is survived by his wife, JoAnn; children and their families, Jesse Jones-Flaschenriem, Jeffery (Mary DeLanghe) Jones, Joy Mercie, Jonica (Kirk) Shoger, Jay (Elizabeth Cleland) Jones; 10 grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren.
