Lifelong Hooper resident, James Cuvier Jones, entered God’s glory on January 19, 2022. He was 95 years old.
Jim’s grandfather, Dr. Thomas Jefferson Jones settled in Hooper, CO in 1914 to establish his medical practice. Dr. Jones's son, Cuvier Holland Jones, married Grace Rosella Meyer, and Cuvier started to farm in 1925. They had three sons: James C. Jones, Thomas C. Jones & Robert B. Jones. Jim continued the farming tradition after returning home from the Korean War and married Edenia Jane Hall. Jim and his father-in-law, Rollo B. Hall, built a new family home, which he and Edenia would share for 40 years and raise three children: Rob, Janell, and Jane.
He learned to plant spuds with an old two-row Champion cup planter. They used a two-bottom plow, flood irrigation and bagged ‘em up into 100-pound bags right there in the field. If it rained, they got to head to the hills and go fishin’. Over the course of 3/4 of a century, he saw the onset of Center Pivot irrigation and modern, high-tech potato storage.
He affected the lives of countless people throughout his life by volunteering as a 4-H leader, serving on various boards as needed, being active in his church and teaching and giving to missions. He served on the Sangre de Cristo school board and worked with other valley churches to get a transmitter on the mountain to bring Christian radio, KFLQ-Family Life Radio to the SLV long before wireless or satellites were a thing. He also proudly served on the Monte Vista Co-op board and as an Alamosa County Commissioner.
After Edenia’s death, Jim realized that his bachelor skills were unsustainable and fortuitously bumped into also-widowed Beverly Zinn at City Market. They both had a hankering for bagels and the rest, as they say, is history. Their marriage in 1995 also added her children to the bunch: Kelley (Dave) West, Troy and Clay Zinn, and her grandchildren Annie, Amy & Brian West, and Jason & Becky Zinn to Jim’s family.
Jim will be missed by his wife, Bev, and her family along with his kids and grandkids.
The Rob & Beth Jones Family:
Melissa (Steven) McCullough: Aurora, Corbyn, Cadyn & Olivia.
Michael (Sarah) Jones: Opal, Juliette & Georgia.
Morey (Amanda) Jones: Parker & Claire.
The Janell & Darin Noble Family:
Danielle (James) Bailey.
Dustin Noble.
Denie (Jake) Noble: Rylee, Carter, Kaylee.
Jane (Mark) Arnold Family:
Stacy (Troy) Dempster: Zach, Elizabeth & Masen,
Jessica Arnold.
Jim was incurably curious about many topics, making him an avid reader. He loved puzzles and visiting with people until he was the last to leave from any gathering or meeting. He was a proud veteran who loved his country and served it well in Korea. Occasionally he was also given to bouts of anger and impulsivity. This nagged at him in the end, and he concluded, “The only thing I ever did right my whole life was accepting Jesus as my Savior. “Jim was not perfect, but when the time came, he used almost 10 decades of life lessons and character building to face the hardest test of all – crossing his finish line. When it came time, he could say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith…” He did this with strength, dignity, and courage.
He lived his whole life within a mile of where he was born until he moved to the Veteran’s Center at Home Lake. The Jones Family would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Veteran’s Center nurses and staff for the love and care shown to Jim and Bev during this time. You have treated them like family and shown us the utmost consideration as we supported Jim during his final days.
Jim will be laid to rest at a private family graveside service. A memorial service will be held later this summer for extended family and friends.
We will learn to live without hearing his exclamations of, “For corn’s sake!” or “For cryin’ in a bucket!” but we will never forget them.
“Rest easy big guy. We’ll see you on the other side.”
Arrangements in care of Strohmayer's Funeral Home.