J.V. Jones, age 82, of Ellenboro, passed away on Friday, September 16, 2016 at the Rutherford Regional Medical Center.
J.V. was born to Joseph and Dema Combs Jones on May 21, 1934 in Laurel Springs, Alleghany County, North Carolina in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Following his older brother on the streams and hills, he developed a love for fishing and hunting that would last for all of his life.
When he was six years old, he contracted polio and this would alter his life. Due to the breakup of his family and the effects of polio, he would spend all of the next eight years either in the North Carolina Orthopedic Hospital or in a foster home. Upon leaving the hospital in 1959, he lived with his brother, Herman for a short while. Just before graduating from high school, his brother moved to take another job. At this time J.V. was taken in by Jesse and Blanche Miller and their son, Leroy, who was a classmate and best friend. The Miller family provided him a home for the next four years while J.V. attended Appalachian State Teachers College. The Miller Family, a wonderful Christian family had a great influence on him, as did all of his classmates in the Fair Grove High School Class of 1953.
After graduating from ASTC in 1956, J.V. began his teaching career at Ellenboro High School. He would spend six wonderful years there under the influence of Mike Davis. No one could have had a better man to work for. After six years, Ellenboro High School was consolidated into East Rutherford High School where he would teach for twenty-five years. From the Ellenboro class of 1959, J.V. would take one of the greatest blessings of his life, his beloved wife Rachel. She would graduate from Winthrop, he would obtain his master's degree from ASU and they would marry on June 1, 1963. To make their family complete, God blessed them with their wonderful son, Kelly in 1972. After retiring from East Rutherford, J.V. taught part-time at ICC for nine years. J.V. and Rachel were able to travel to all but six of the lower forty-eight states and Canada during their marriage. Their long, happy marriage lasted until her death on February 9, 2011.
In addition to his son, Kelly, J.V. leaves many of his hunting and fishing buddies, his church family and countless other friends. A special friend and caretaker, Dawn Kanipe, her grandbabies, Kyrie and Aaliyah, and her other family members were a blessing to him.
A funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at the Oak Grove United Methodist Church with Reverend David Hawkins, Reverend Robert Toney and Mr. Mike Harrill officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to service time in the church fellowship hall.
Memorial donations are suggested to the Oak Grove UMC Children's fund, 1507 Oak Grove Church Road, Ellenboro, NC 28040 or the Foothills Nature Conservancy of North Carolina, PO Box 3023, Morganton, NC 28680.
Harrelson Funeral and Cremation Services has been entrusted with arrangements.
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