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David Ora Jones, age 54, of Erwin, South Dakota, was born April 14, 1964 at De Smet, South Dakota, the youngest child of Dale Dwight Jones and Minnie Marilyn (Whaley) Jones. Dave departed for the next life on Thursday, May 24, 2018, as the result of a farm accident.
Visitation was from 5-7 pm Wednesday, May 30 at the Lake Preston Lutheran Church. Memorial services was at the Lake Preston Lutheran Church Thursday, May 31 at 10:30 am followed by fellowship and internment at the Erwin Cemetery. Arrangements were entrusted to Osthus Funeral Home, DeSmet.
Dave was baptized...
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David Ora Jones, age 54, of Erwin, South Dakota, was born April 14, 1964 at De Smet, South Dakota, the youngest child of Dale Dwight Jones and Minnie Marilyn (Whaley) Jones. Dave departed for the next life on Thursday, May 24, 2018, as the result of a farm accident.
Visitation was from 5-7 pm Wednesday, May 30 at the Lake Preston Lutheran Church. Memorial services was at the Lake Preston Lutheran Church Thursday, May 31 at 10:30 am followed by fellowship and internment at the Erwin Cemetery. Arrangements were entrusted to Osthus Funeral Home, DeSmet.
Dave was baptized on his fourth birthday, which was Easter Sunday, by Rev Joseph Runner, at the Erwin United Church of Christ. He was confirmed in the faith on April 6, 1980, by Pastor Tom Mitchell. During his adolescence he was a member of the United Church of Christ United Methodist (UCCUM) youth group. Dave served as President of the Board of the Erwin UCC the past ten years.
Dave attended kindergarten and grades 1-6 at Erwin and grades 7-12 at Lake Preston High School, graduating in 1982. After one year at Northern State College in Aberdeen, he transferred and graduated from Dakota State University in 1987 with degrees in the revolutionary new fields of computer science and information systems.
That same year, at age 23, he traveled to visit his sister in Germany and was unexpectedly hired by an American contractor to install the very first networked computers in the VII U.S. Army Corps Headquarters at Kelly Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany. During his second year in Germany he was joined by his college sweetheart, Tanya Eileen Willman, and they made their first home together. They returned to the United States in 1990 and were married on September 22 at the Erwin UCC.
Dave’s career in computer technology spanned over thirty years. Highlights of this work include; two years with Gurney Seed and Nursery in Yankton, installation of computers at numerous universities (a job that involved weekly coast to coast plane travel), installing computers in newly constructed soybean plants throughout the region, and overseeing computer services for Prairie Ag locations in Kingsbury County. He also started his own company, Phoenix Consulting, to provide internet services to the local community.
In 2010, Dave pursued a long-held interest in running a bar. He and Tanya renovated the old post office and opened the Uptown Bar in Erwin. A meeting place with a pub-like familiarity and hospitality; during his four years as proprietor he was a leader in planning and hosting a number of celebration days in Erwin that included parades and dances.
Throughout the years, while his career revolved around computers, his on-going passion and love was that of farming and raising livestock—including many generations of cats! Dave felt a deep connection to the soil that had been tilled, planted, tended and harvested by his beloved grandfather, Daniel P. Jones, his father, Dale D. Jones and his uncle, Dene H. Jones. He followed in their footsteps as an American patriot who fed the world. He was a conscientious steward of the land. The many shelter belts he planted are a visible testament to his belief he was entrusted with care of God’s creation. His greatest hope was that the land of his ancestors would be passed on to his three sons and their descendants.
As a loving and caring husband and father, Dave took seriously his role as a provider. His work ethic, generosity, and faith served as a role-model for many. His concern for the common good of the community was lived out in part by his participation for six years as a member of the Lake Preston School Board.
Dave reveled in time spent with his family and friends. Whether it was sitting on the beach at Lake Poinsett, attending concerts by the 1980’s rock tribute band, Hairball, or meeting at a local restaurant for a shared meal and drink, he valued relationships over material possessions. The entire family worked together to refurbish an old granary on the farm to serve as a place to entertain friends and display cherished memorabilia. Dave and Tanya had recently purchased acreage near Rapid City which made it possible to enjoy outings into the Black Hills where he would four-wheel, bike, fish, hike and canoe.
Due to a life-threatening heart condition that required dangerous surgery in his young adulthood, Dave had a clear-eyed view of his mortality that informed his appreciation of the here and now. While his departure seems out of season to those of us who love him still, our faith undergirds our belief he has been gathered into the love of the Divine. We are grateful for each day he was among us, and look to the ways the profound touch of his life on ours is yet to be revealed.
Dave is survived by Tanya, his wife of twenty-seven years; sons, Daniel, Calvin and Matthew; mother, Marilyn Jones; sister, Dawn Jones and spouse Phyllis Naffziger; brother, Duane and wife Janet Jones; mother and father-in-law Alice and Willard Willman; sister and brother-in-law Terri and Todd Furchner and sister-in-law Rene Kenney. He was preceded in death by his father, Dale D. Jones.
Eulogy--I’m Phyllis Naffziger. Dave was my brother-in-law. I had known him for 26 years. Today I’m reading the words written by Dave’s sister Dawn.
Even on a day like today, ESPECIALLY on a day like today, there is reason to be grateful. First and foremost grateful to a loving God, to the friend we have in Jesus and for the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit.
On behalf of our family we extend our gratitude to Vicar Brad Sanderson and the congregation of the Lake Preston Lutheran Church for the Christian hospitality you have extended to us—enabling us to worship God and join together in fellowship during a time such as this.
To the first responders and law enforcement officials, who through the course of their service to the community encounter trying circumstances, we pray our gratitude would lessen any burdens you carry as a result of that important work.
We are grateful to Roger and Luanne Osthus for the gracious ministry they have provided for over fifty years to those like us, who grieve.
We are grateful to Rev Marjie Brewton, who has these many years—as our spiritual leader at the Erwin United Church of Christ—illuminated the sacred word, and offered pastoral care in times of joy and sorrow.
We are grateful for each one gathered here—some who have traveled from a distance—to offer us the great gift of accompaniment during an extremely difficult time. We are grateful for the many and varied ways your lives intersected and overlapped with Dave’s. Your stories—that shed light on different attributes, dimensions and facets of his life—are important to us. Important not only on this day, but in the weeks and months and years to come, for those stories will be a balm to our souls.
My brother, Dave, lived his life in an attitude of gratitude. Because of a congenital heart defect that required dangerous surgery in his mid-twenties, he was keenly aware of his mortality. As a result, he had a maturity and wisdom beyond his years. He brought a combination of Norwegian stoicism, fatalism and humor to his belief that you make the most of the days you are granted. The treasures he valued were not material, but those of days under the open sky, work on the good earth, and time beside still waters. Above all else, he was grateful for cherished relationships with family and friends.
Like you, I’m grateful for Dave’s life among us. He was my “little brother” who stood 6 ft. 2. I did look up to him, but even more I respected him and admired him and relied on him. It seemed to me Dave had a moral compass that pointed to true north. He was interested in the common good, and seemed able to tell from a handshake if those he met shared the same concern. It didn’t seem to be a part of Dave’s character to be vindictive, hold any malice or carry a grudge.
The picture of Dave here in the front, seemed to capture his true essence. An unguarded smile, a beer in hand—the photo was taken nearly three years ago on the occasion of a reunion in Erwin. Dave had organized the parade that day and was both pleased and relieved the event had gone so well. He was at his very best and happiest when he brought people together.
Like anyone, Dave had shortcomings and each of you surely experienced them. No matter his best intentions, often the things he said he would do he just did not get to. He got to stuff in his own good time—often because he was juggling multiple demands on his time simultaneously. The many jobs with computers and farming were a means to support his family—but often the demands of two on-going jobs left less family time.
Ten years ago, the entire family, Dave, Tanya, Daniel, Calvin and Matthew, were the care-takers of the Erwin Cemetery. This is a job that many residents of Erwin have had during the years—including me more than forty years ago. It’s a beautiful spot on a slight hill, surrounded on one side by wetlands with all the sounds of birds, and frogs and insects thriving there. On the horizon you can see giant cottonwoods and farm fields and mature shelterbelts. It’s a walk through the genealogy of the community to traverse the ground there.
When Tanya, and my mom and I were there this past Sunday to select a place for internment of Dave’s ashes, we discovered there was space open right beside the spot where my Grandfather Daniel Jones’ favorite brother—David Jones, is interned. This is the same David for whom our Dave was named.
No matter how tired he was, sleep always seemed to elude, Dave. He was envious of those who could get a solid eight hours a night. To know Dave is at eternal rest, in the company of his namesake, is for me a reason to feel gratitude.
Dave had a sixth sense about change—he always knew when it was the right time to transition from one chapter of his life to another. He had a pulse on the world around him and gained knowledge seemingly by osmosis. He was a good listener and took in so much by being really present to others.
We are made by the Creator to seek meaning in our lives. And I have been seeking to find meaning out of the events of last Thursday. I don’t believe the Divine decrees accidents. I do believe Jesus is never more present than in times of distress. I believe that in due course, it will be revealed to those who love God, how the Holy Spirit will work good from what we now experience as a grievous loss. As one of my wise and faith-filled friends once said to me, “God doesn’t waste anything.”
Yet for now, we are relegated to patience, and to absorb the mystery.
Some words for Dave’s family.
Daniel—among your many gifts, you have your father’s knack for making friends. He never knew a stranger. It’s about the genuine, authentic, open, and unassuming demeanor you share with him.
Calvin—Because of his heart condition, your dad could not serve in the military. He was really glad you fulfilled an aspiration that he was denied. Your dad often said that you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to.
Matthew—Like your dad, you are the youngest of the family, and the tallest. You also share his interest in the world beyond the bounds of the farm. He looked forward to your journey of self-discovery.
To all three of you I say, there is no doubt your father was proud of each of you. Just as importantly—he knew you were proud of him.
In the times to come, you will hear your dad’s voice. It might be something you say and realize it was his words coming from your mouth. You might hear his words in your head. You might hear his words coming through the words of others. At first it will surprise you to recognize this on-going presence. And then you will grow accustomed to it. And then you will long for the guidance and reassurance it gives to you.
Tanya, I remember Dave’s story of seeing you for the very first time—and how he couldn’t believe someone so beautiful would give him a second look. Everyone here has a perspective on their relationship with Dave. But no one has the length, breadth and depth that is yours alone. Through changing circumstances one truth remains. Love continues to abide.
The responsibility of being a sole parent has come unbidden. Remember that you do not undertake this part of your life’s journey alone. You are surrounded by the great cloud of witnesses, which now includes Dave, and by those of us on this side of Glory who care about you and your sons.
To those of you assembled here today, your connection to Dave is by many names; son, brother, husband, dad, cousin, uncle, neighbor, computer-nerd, farmer, conservationist, entrepreneur, community volunteer & leader, bartender, confidant, listener & friend.
The magnitude of our loss is only exceeded by the enormity of our gratitude. Gratitude for Dave’s life well-lived. Gratitude for not only all the things he did for us—but even more so, gratitude for his being—the way he lived, and moved and had meaning in this world. Gratitude that his touch on our lives will reverberate through the rest of our lives.
Thanks be to God, for his servant David Jones. |
