James Jones

James Acy Jones (Jim), 87, of Safford, passed away on May, 31, 2013, surrounded by his loving family. Jim was born June 7, 1925 to Acy Lewis Jones and Lula Belle Hunter in Tuttle, Oklahoma. He was the oldest of six children. Jim enlisted in the Navy in March of 1942. He served on the USS Lafayette in the Pacific Theater until the war ended and he was discharged. He came to Arizona and immediately went to work for Mountain Bell Telephone Company. Jim continued to work for the telephone company through all its changes and retired with thirty-seven years of service in 1983. Jim married Wilma Ingle in 1948 in Douglas, Arizona. Wilma preceded him in death in 2007 after fifty-nine years of marriage. He is survived by two sons, Darrell (Alberta) Jones of De Soto, Kansas and Randall (Nellie) Jones of Safford, Arizona, nine grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren, one sister Jean Dunn of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and one brother Van Jones of Fredricksburg, Virginia. Jim accepted Jesus as His Savior at the Elfrida Baptist Church in 1953 and from then on was very active in church wherever he lived. When he retired, he worked as a volunteer with the Mobil Missionary Assistance Program for ten years. Jim loved the Lord, the mountains and hunting and fishing. He joined Wilma in heaven May 31, 2013 just seven days before his eighty-eighth birthday. Funeral services will be held at the First Southern Baptist Church in Thatcher June 10, at 9 a.m. with Pastor Dustin Willey officiating with a visitation one hour prior. Interment will follow in the Safford cemetery.