Marilyn Lou (Leonard) Jones was born Sept. 19, 1933, in Woodbine, to Ralph and Helen Leonard. She graduated from Mapleton High School and then attended St. Luke’s Nursing School. She married Rex Hasbrouck Jones on Aug. 21, 1955, at the Methodist Church in Mapleton. Rex and Marilyn moved to Moorhead in 1956, and opened a veterinary practice. They started their family in 1957, and were blessed with three children. Once the children were raised, Marilyn returned to nursing, a vocation she so loved. In retirement, Marilyn and Rex lived in Mapleton, Hot Springs Village, Ark., and returned to Dunlap in 2015.
Marilyn was always busy! She loved spending time in the outdoors and possibly planted more trees than Johnny Appleseed, although evergreens were her preference. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, playing bridge and walking. Marilyn never sat down without keeping her hands busy knitting, crocheting, or quilting, winning an Iowa State Fair blue ribbon three years in a row. And if you ever happened to be in the car with Marilyn when she spotted a Dairy Sweet, you better have had your seatbelt on as she never passed up a soft serve ice cream cone!
Honoring her memory are her children; Lyn Mari Hanigan and her husband, Richard Joseph Hanigan, of Dunlap, Kris Jones Clark of Atlanta, Ga., and Rex Leonard Jones and his wife, Cynthia Burkhalter Jones, of Flower Mound, Texas. She is also honored by her seven grandchildren, Teri Hanigan Swenson, Joseph Richard Hanigan, Julie Hanigan Elder, Wesley Steven Clark, Dalton Ryan Clark, Douglas Reese Jones, and Kelsey Elizabeth Jones. In addition, she has nine great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Rex Jones; her parents, Ralph and Helen Leonard; and her brothers, Wayne, George, and Don Leonard.
Per Marilyn’s wishes there will be no services.
Fouts Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. www.foutsfuneralhome.com
