Marion Jones

Marion Jones (nee Poniken) was born on January 4th, 1928, in Orange, New Jersey. She graduated from Orange High School and worked a variety of jobs, but her final and favorite one was as a long-distance and information operator for the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company in East Orange, New Jersey, and later with Northwest Bell in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1961 Marion met and married Robert (Bob) Jones while living in Omaha. They enjoyed a 49-year marriage which ended with Bob’s passing in 2010; they had two children, Nancy and David.

Marion had been shy and quiet prior to meeting Bob, but after meeting him, he claimed: “she never stopped talking .”She enjoyed helping him with raking leaves and clearing the gutters. The latter activity was given up at age 79 when she felt seeing her up on the ladder was making the neighbors nervous. A point of pride was helping with snow removal. Marion loved using the snow blower, which was almost as big as she was.

Marion was so happy with the little things in life, like hot coffee or a shot of brandy. Marion loved doing handwork and described it as “like being in another world .”She also enjoyed movies, especially those with suspense and thrillers. Marion cared for those who were hurting, sometimes people she barely knew. She delivered meals for Meals on Wheels, volunteered as a teacher’s helper, and grocery shopped for a homebound person. While living in New Jersey, she took a niece, Dorothy, out of an orphanage to live with her. Animals also benefited from her kind heart. She worried about them in the winter and often placed food under her lilac bush for the bunnies and squirrels.

She was blessed with many friends. Her greatest happiness came from their adventures together and chatting on the phone. Some of these friendships spanned over 80 years. Summer nights would find her visiting and laugh with neighbors. She will be missed by many.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, July 21, 2022 at 11:00 AM at First Lutheran Church in Fargo, North Dakota.