John Orr Jones was born to George Millen Orr and Gwendolyn (Cattle) Orr on March 7, 1918, in Lincoln, Nebraska and passed away on August 9, 1998 in Lincoln, Nebraska at the age of 80 years, 5 months, and 2 days. When John was six months old, his mother died in the World War I flu epidemic and he was cared for by his father and aunts. Later he was adopted by Harry T. Jones and Dorothy Atwater Jones.

John attended school in Seward through the fifth grade, attending military school through the eighth grade in San Diego, California, graduating from high school at Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut in 1936. He attended the University of Nebraska for several years studying business and agriculture. On February 10, 1941, John was united in marriage to Jane Cummins in Seward. Later that same month, he entered the U.S. Army and Air Corps serving until October of 1945. John and Jane returned to Seward where John was active in the business of farm management. He was a founder of the Seward County Irrigators Association, involved with conservation practices in Seward County, and was chairman of the steering committee of Seward County Zoning. He was one of the owners and managers of the Greenhorn Lime Quarry and was a partner in the Engler Mill & Elevator Co. John and Jane were charter members of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, actively involved in many of the church's boards—serving many times as a delegate for National Conventions. John was a planning member of the St. Mark's on Campus Building and the Student Center project. John was one of the original members of the planning and fund raising committees for the building of Memorial Hospital in Seward.

John was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife, Jane of Seward; by his daughters and sons-in-law, Caroline and George Martin of Rosemount, Minn., Nancy and Eldon Lindquist of Seward, and Holly and Bruce Majeski of Newport Beach, Calif.; by his son and daughter-in-law, David and Jean E. Jones of Seward; by his grandchildren, Kate and John Steider, Sue Martin, Tim and Katherine Martin, Mike Martin, Mark Allan, David and Becky Allan, Jennifer Allan, Amy and Jeff Garber, Wade Vogt, John Jones, and Anne E. Jones; by his great-grandchildren, Samantha Steider, Joseph Steider, Jackson Steider, Alexander Martin, Tayler Garber, Paige Garber, and Joshua Garber; other relatives and a host of friends. To this short obituary we add our many memories of life shared with John.

Funeral services was held at 2:00 p.m. on August 12, 1998, at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Seward. Graveside and Interment followed at Greenwood Cemetery in Seward.