Gordon Neil Jones

Gordon Neil Jones, 88, of La Crescent and formerly from Lewiston, died Thursday, December 13, 2012 at Golden Living Center in La Crescent after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. Gordon was born December 8, 1924 in Linn Grove, IA to David and Iona (Morarity) Jones. He attended school through the 8th grade, and after his father died, Gordon worked for various farmers in the area prior to being a bell hop in St. Paul. When he was 18, he enlisted in the United States Army and was stationed in England and Europe. In August 1944, Gordon was hospitalized in England for 6 months after receiving a war injury in France. In his early 20s, Gordon was introduced to Nylene Johnson in their small hometown of Sioux Rapids, IA. On January 20, 1948, they were united in marriage at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA. After farming, Gordon ran two weekly newspapers, one in SD and one in Lewiston. When Gordon began his career with Camera Art in Lewiston, he took school photos and eventually worked for the Human Resource department. On June 30, 1986, Gordon and Nylene both retired from Camera Art and enjoyed spending winters in Texas. A jack of all trades, Gordon enjoyed walleye fishing with his nephews; woodcarving, and making bows, arrows, and wooden boats; taking photos; flying his airplane; and riding his Honda motorcycle. Above all, he treasured spending time with his family. Gordon and Nylene have been members at Brookside Church of Christ in Winona for over 34 years, and he was very involved with their Bible study. Gordon is survived by his wife of over 64 years, Nylene Jones of La Crescent; daughter, Dixie Slayton of La Crescent; grandchildren, Cindy (C lair) Angland, Alicia (Ray) Olschewski, Amber (Troy) Castle, Amanda (Aaron) Gust; great-grandchildren, Carter, Cooper, Brady, Peyton, Paxton, Gavin, and Kennedy; son-in-law, Ron Kieffer; and special friends, Bob (Jean) Raz of Winona. He is preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Debra Kieffer; son-in-law, Thomas Slayton; 4 sisters; and 2 brothers. Memorial service will be held at 11am on Monday, December 17, 2012 at Brookside Church of Christ in Winona with Mark Beerman officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Burial will take place at a later date. The family prefers memorials to be sent to the American Cancer Society. Please share a memory of Gordon with his family, sign the online guestbook, and view his video tribute when it becomes available at www.hofffuneral.com.
Tribute video can be found at: videos.lifetributes.com/357161