Helen H. Jones, 89, of Jacksonville, Ore., died at home Sunday, Dec. 3, 2006, surrounded by her daughters and her beloved caregiver Norma.
She was born Jan. 20, 1917 in Birmingham, Ala. She was raised and educated in Indiana until her family moved to Beverly Hills and then later to Whittier.
As a young girl, she traveled most of the world with her parents. She attended Whittier College where she met her future husband, Ben Jones.
They had four daughters. She worked along with Ben in all his business pursuits. He taught school, owned a dairy and chicken ranch and raised turkeys.
They moved to Idyllwild in 1960 where Ben was a successful contractor and built many beautiful homes. Helen was an important part of Ben’s business and his success.
The couple moved to Jacksonville, Ore., and the Little Applegate River in 1985 where Ben built the home they lived in for the rest of their lives. Ben passed away in Oregon in 1995.
Helen loved to play bridge. Her children remember her reading Encyclopedia Britannica for recreation and said you would want her on your team in a “Trivial Pursuit” game. Helen loved limericks and taught them to her girls who taught them to their children. She always had a dog and a beautiful garden.
Her ashes will be strewn in Idyllwild and near the Little Applegate River.
Helen is survived by her daughters, Barbara Roth of Rio Rico, Ariz., Sara Clayton of Idyllwild, Susan Upson of Valley Center and Margaret Barreoro of Ashland, Ore.; her nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
