Elton Jones

Elton "Buck" Jones, age 68, from Erskine, MN passed away on Friday, October 30th at First Care Hospital in Fosston, MN.  Funeral services will be held on Thursday, November 5th at 2:00 PM at St. Lawrence Catholic Church rural Mentor, MN with Monsignor Roger Grundhaus presiding.  Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 5:00 to 7:00 PM with a prayer service at 7:00 PM at Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home in Erskine, and there will also be reviewal for one hour before the funeral at the church.  Interment will be at St. Lawrence Catholic Cemetery, rural Mentor, and the Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home of Erskine is in charge of the arrangements. Elton Wayne Jones was born on April 27, 1941 in Cuba City, Wisconsin to parents Kenneth and Bethel (Woolf) Jones.  He graduated from Platteville High School in Platteville, Wisconsin in 1959.  After high school, "Buck" joined the Navy and studied electronics and served on a ship that tracked airplanes in the North Pacific.  He witnessed the first nuclear blast in the South Pacific and the first two space capsule pick-ups.  After the Navy, he went to work in Rockford for Sundstrand as an electrician for four years, then to Chrysler Corporation for seven years.  While there, "Buck" went to Rock Valley Junior College and bought his first farm.  He kept that farm for four years then bought three farms near Lancaster.  "Buck" farmed those for a few years then bought farms in Minnesota.  While buying and selling farms, he became a farm equipment jockey and bought and sold farm equipment. To be home more, "Buck" went to work for American Crystal Sugar and worked there twenty six years as an electrician.  The last sixteen years he was the union president for that local.  The union job gave him exposure to the Democratic Party and he spent a lot of time in Washington D.C. lobbying for farm bills and sugar interests where he was at the time of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.  He was also a delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. "Buck" was married to Virginia "Ginny" Noyes on November 12, 1976 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Fosston, MN.  They have resided in the rural McIntosh area and in Erskine for many years. On Friday, October 30, 2009 Elton "Buck" Jones passed away at First Care Hospital in Fosston at the age of 68 years. He is survived by his wife "Ginny" of Erskine; children, Abby Jones of Crookston, MN, Tim (Sue) LeBlanc of Bismarck, ND, Michael (Kim) LeBlanc of Pensacola, FL and Deana Johnson of Orlando, FL; seven grandchildren, Melissa Johnson, Megan Johnson, Alex LeBlanc, Victoria LeBlanc, Andrew LeBlanc, Veronica LeBlanc and Rachel LeBlanc; his mother, Bethel Edge of Wisconsin; step-brothers, Gary (Becky) Edge of Idaho and Randy (Vicky) Edge of Bloomington, MN; and step-sister, Bonnie Braynt of Wisconsin. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, his father; his step-father, Paul Edge; and grandson, Matthew LeBlanc.