Calvin "Hap" Jones

Calvin (Hap) Jones of Thedford passed away on March 19, 2010 at the Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. Hap was born near Kearney Nebraska on May 27, 1925 and began life as a farmer. Hap was a talented musician playing nearly any instrument with strings even though he never had a lesson and couldn’t read a note of sheet music. After working as a farmer when the technology was horse power, he also was a talented “shade tree mechanic” before finding his pot of gold in the sand hills in 1955. Hap spent a short time on the Carl Wiese Ranch on the North Loup prior to moving to Thedford where he partnered with Allen Jameson and started Sand Hill Oil Co. Hap was a long time member of the Thedford community where he was a small business man, very involved in the community through the Thedford Area Community Foundation; Thomas County Historical Society; Seneca Masonic Lodge # 281; Sunshine Chapter 261 Order of the Eastern Star; and the Boy Scouts of America among other things. Hap was proceeded in death by his parents, Herman and Otillia Jones; brothers Howard and Andrew Jones; sisters Helen / Bob Pritchard; Mildred / Lex Lindner; Waunita / Boyd Crable; mother and father in-law Wes and Evelyn McCaslin; brother in-law and sister in-law: Mary / Rudy Neben; Clifford McCaslin; Ed Goodner; and Kenny Purdum. Hap is survived in death by his wife of 57 years, Audrey; sons, Jay of Thedford; Randy / Melanie and family of Omaha; Dallas / Tish and family of Lincoln; daughter Melanie / Fred Meijering and family of Carolton TX, 13 grandchildren: Matt Jones, Amy Cargill, Marcie Hall, Lendi Castillo, Abby Jones, Kaitlin Heavin, Emma Jones, Riley Jones, Dallas Jones Jr., Otillia Jones, Gunnar Jones; Isabel and Madeline Meijering; and 7 great grandchildren; Clarke Jones and Alyssa Cargill; Fallon and Caleb LeDoux; Aydon, Nasya and Kadence Castillo. Sister in-law Roviene Jones of Fremont, CA; brother and sister in-laws, Dan and Joyce McCaslin of Broken Bow; Curtis and Eula McCaslin of Hershey; Ardis Goodner of Broken Bow; Cleo Purdum of Reed Point, MT; Beverly and Jim Goehring of Cheyene, WY; Daryl and Jan McCaslin of North Platte; Leata and Boyd Krejci of Eustis; and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins. If the measure of the man is the number of friends he made, a great man has passed. In the words of some long time family friends, “Hap Jones equaled fun”; “he always had a smile on his face, a twinkle in his eye; your day was just brighter after you ran into Hap.” So, although the “Great Story Teller of the Sandhills” has now passed, his memory continues to brighten the lives of the many he touched. He will be missed. Thedford, NE- Calvin “Hap” Jones age 84 of Thedford died Friday March 19, 2010 at the Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. Funeral services will be held Monday March 22, 2010 at 11:00 AM in the United Church of Christ in Thedford, NE with Reverends Tim Pearson and Lee Wonch officiating. Masonic Rites by Seneca Masonic Lodge #281 will also be held at the church. Burial will be in the Hillcrest Cemetery at Thedford. Visitation will be held Sunday March 21, 2010 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Govier Bros. Mortuary in Broken Bow and Monday morning 9:00 AM until service time at the church. Memorials have been established to the Masonic Lodge #281, The Thomas County Historical Society, or the Sandhills Community Church.