Emmet Jones

Emmet C. Jones, 93, of Waukon, IA, died Friday, August 30, 2019, at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, September 4th, at 11:00 AM at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waterville, IA, with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Tuesday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.

Emmet Clair Jones was born June 11, 1926, on the family farm in rural Waterville, IA, the son of Leo and Ruth (Finley) Jones. He attended Waterville School and helped on the farm. In 1945, Emmet joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany and Austria as a Radio Communications Technician. After developing Type I diabetes, Emmet was discharged in 1947 and came back home to farm with his dad. With his health issues, he had been told that he wouldn't live to the age of 40, but Emmet became the longest surviving veteran with diabetes in Iowa according to the VA Hospital in Iowa City, taking well over 70,000 insulin shots. Emmet then went into the logging business and during this time, he met Bernadine Ellen Hartong; the two married on October 3, 1954, in Mauston, WI. In 1957, Emmet went to work for the Waterville creamery, first as a milk truck driver then as a butter maker. Ten years later, Emmet's career took him to the Waukon creamery, where he continued to be a renowned butter maker. Emmet won multiple trophies and awards for the best butter in Iowa and one year he won the top four spots in Minnesota and Iowa for butter. The secret to great butter, according to Emmet, was using an old wooden churn. He retired in 1980.

In December of 1962, Emmet was baptized and confirmed at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waterville and remained a member ever since. He also belonged to the American Legion in Lansing, IA. Emmet loved being outdoors and enjoyed fishing, playing horseshoes, mushroom hunting, gardening, and mowing the yard. He also liked listening to classic country music and watching his favorite TV show Hee Haw. His family was the thing he took the most pride in and looked forward to family reunions every summer. The time spent with his siblings and kids usually ended up becoming big events, whether that was holding euchre tournaments all day or spending whole weekends doing some serious squirrel hunting.

Emmet is survived by his children: Richard (Inge) Jones of Austria; Debra (Pat) McGeough and Mary (Tim) Kelly, both of Waukon, Rodney (Rita) Jones of Strawberry Point, IA, Diane (Marvin) Cunningham of Rosebud, TX, Ellen (Kevin) Krousie of Waukon, Paula (Roger) Goeke of Rosebud, TX, and Wanda (Pat) Schellsmidt and Bruce Jones, both of Waukon; 14 grandchildren: Jason and Jay McGeough, Brad and Glen Palmer, Lydia Jones Guyer, Quinn Jones Corbin, Cameron Jones, Shane and Kelly Hughes, Sarah Krousie Pegler, Melissa and Roger Goeke Jr., and Cassie and Noah Schellsmidt; 22 great-grandchildren: Shelby Shupe, Levi McGeough, Kristen and Mason McGeough, Adrianna and Avery Rocksvold, Kendall Palmer, Kayla and Carly Palmer, Hailee Guyer Roamer, Seth and Camille Guyer, Tayton Jones, Izabella and Arianna Corbin, Lexi and Jakson Hughes, Brooklyn Gorman, Emma and Alexander Pegler, and Trey and Piper Goeke; three great-great-grandchildren: Jaxsyn and Owen Bunts and Calvin Roamer; his sisters: Grace Groves of Omaha, NE, Lucille Dlouhy of Edgewood, IA, Anaruth Dimmer of Dubuque, IA, and Carol (Willie) Buerger of Garber, IA; his brother Everett (Fran) Jones of Dubuque, IA, sister-in-law Barb (Dennis) Nebendahl of Waterville; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Bernadine, in June 2019; his parents; son Dennis Irving Jones; two grandchildren: Kelcy and Zachary Jones; brothers-in-law: Virgil Groves, Lyle Dimmer, and Leonard Dlouhy; father and mother-in-law Irving and Rita Hartong; and sisters-in-law: Alberta Lorenz-Benthaud, Vivian (Earl) Iverson, and Marjorie (Ron) Miller.

Honorary casketbearers are Emmet's grandchildren.