CLAIR JONES, JR.
Clair William “Jim” Jones, Jr., 98, of Centre Hall, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 24, at Susque View Home Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Lock Haven.
He was born in Huston, Walker Township, Pa., the son of the late Annabelle Showers Rogers, and grew up in the Lester Thomas Rogers family in Nittany.
He graduated from Walker Township High School in 1942. On June 25, 1948, in Tylersville, he married Elinor Lorraine Nicholas, who survives in Centre Hall.
A veteran of World War II, Clair served 33 months in the U.S. Army Signal Corps from 1943 to 1945 as a telephone lineman in advance communications. He received infantry training at Camp McCain, Miss. and saw action in Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, the Ardennes and Central Europe. He was awarded five bronze battle stars, the Good Conduct Medal, the Meritorious Unit Award and the World War II Victory Medal. After his return home Clair served six years in the U.S. Army Reserves 491st Combat Engineers where he attained the rank of Sergeant First Class.
Clair was a 74-year member of St. Johns Union Church in Farmers Mills where he served as Sunday School superintendent and senior high Sunday School teacher. Over the years he held various offices on the consistory. He was a life member of the Centre Hall Fire Company and served as fire chief during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was also a member of the State College Radio Control Club and built radio controlled airplanes. For 35 years he enjoyed being the cook for the Logan Sportsmen Club, where he was a member. He served on the Penns Valley Area School Board and the Centre County Board of Education during the construction of the Centre County Vo-Tech School, now the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Technology, in Pleasant Gap.
Clair grew up working on farms and, after marriage, worked on the Penn’s Cave Farm and conducted boat tours through the cave as well. He then worked as an insurance agent for the Baltimore Life Insurance Company. Beginning in the 1950s he worked for the First National Bank in Centre Hall, eventually becoming cashier. He went on to have a long career with the Pennsylvania Department of Banking from which he retired in 1986 as a senior bank examiner.
Clair had life-long interest in gardening, woodworking, wooden model building, birds, and the many skills of a self-reliant man.
Clair is survived by his wife, Elinor; a daughter, Karen Louise Jones and her husband, John Mackie, and their son, Nicholas Mackie-Jones, of Arlington, Va.; a son, Brent William Jones, and his wife, Patty, of Mill Hall, and their children, Ross, Barry, James Beckum and Karen Beckum-Doty; a sister, Ella Quiggle; and a brother, Clyde Rogers.
Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Hazel Duck Yarnell; and four brothers, Richard Rogers, Charles Rogers, Guy Rogers and Elwood Rogers.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, from 1-2:30 p.m. followed by a funeral service with Pastor Lauretta Dietrich officiating at the Daughenbaugh Funeral, Inc. in Centre Hall.
Final interment will be in the Tylersville Union Cemetery, Tylersville, Pa.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. John’s Union Church in Farmers Mill, 296 Ridge Rd, Spring Mills, PA 16875.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Daughenbaugh Funeral Home, Inc 228 S. Pennsylvania Ave., PO Box 579, Centre Hall, PA 16828. An online guest book can be signed or condolences to the family available at www.daughenbaughfuneralhome.com.
Clinton Mora is a reporter for Trending Insurance News. He has previously worked for the Forbes. As a contributor to Trending Insurance News, Clinton covers emerging a wide range of property and casualty insurance related stories.