Obit – Mr. Charles Jones
A distinguished Presbyterian Southern Gospel Minister and Pastor to many has passed from his earthly journey to his heavenly reward, following a life of fulfillment and satisfaction in the manner in which he served his Lord and conducted his life before others. His favorite scripture in God’s word was Philippians 1:21: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Eld. Charles Jones, of the Russell Hill community, died unexpectedly at the Pavilion in South Carthage where he had made his home since May of 2017. He was pronounced deceased at 8:47 a.m. Thursday morning, March 31, 2022, at the Riverview Regional Medical Center Emergency Room in Carthage.
Sunday afternoon, April 3rd, funeral services were conducted by his longtime pastoral friend Eld. Jackie Riddle of Huntsville, Alabama and the pastor who now serves two of the churches Bro. Jones served for such a long time, Eld. Scott Rigsby. Following the 3 p.m. services from the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home, he was buried beside his wife of over seventy two years at the Pleasant Shade Cemetery.
The eldest of three children and the only son of the late Jeral Dean “Jerb” Jones, who died November 23, 1992 at the age of 81, and Jewel Inez Jenkins Jones, who died October 22, 1978 at the age of 68, he was born Charles William Jones in the Pleasant Shade community on December 13, 1929.
His two sisters preceded him in death, Pearl Jones Gregory, who died at the age of 82 on August 13, 2014, and Mai Dean Jones Donoho, who died at the age of 78 on August 17, 2019.
In Tompkinsville, Kentucky on May 21, 1948 he was united in marriage to Nickajack community native the former Lynedria Joyce Taylor, who preceded him in death on January 29, 2021 at the age of 87.
Also preceding in death was their daughter-in-law, Graveltown community native Vivian Lynn Sloan Jones, who died on January 3, 2021 at the age of 65, following a battle with cancer.
Bro. Jones began his career with the Alton (Big Ute) Williams at his Pleasant Shade community woodworking shop and after Mr. Williams death the business was purchased and became the Sloan Brothers Woodworking Shop and thus began Bro. Jones career in what would lead him to get his General Education Degree in 1971 and began working for the James T. (Pete) Watts as a cabinet maker, architect and draftsman. He worked for Watts Construction Company for over twenty nine years before his retirement.
Bro. Jones was the architect for the Smith County Bank, the Smith County Health Care Center in Carthage, and in 1956 built the cabinets and chapel furniture for Sanderson Funeral Home while employed at Sloan Brothers.
Bro. Jones was ordained into the Carthage Presbytery of the Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church by the Presbyterian ordaining council in Murfreesboro on September 24, 1959.
During his pastorates he pastored the following churches: Haydenburg Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church, September 1959 – September of 1967, Polston Chapel Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and September 1963 – September 1967.
He pastored the Russell Hill Presbyterian Church from September 1964 – March 1965, September for 19 years from 1975- 1994 and again in 2000 for sixteen years until retiring in 2016.
He pastored the Hickory Hill Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church from March of 65 – September 1967.
He twice pastored the Pleasant Shade Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church, first, for six years, 1967 – September 1973, and while there again did a radio devotional for eighteen months, and pastored the church again from 1975 – 1994 for a total of nineteen years and taped a Sunday morning radio service from 1987 – 1994.
He pastored the Mt. Pisgah Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Alabama each first and third Sunday from October of 1974 thru August of 1975 and pastored the Jackso-Rockvale, TN church for six months in 1975.
In 1994, he assisted in organizing the Sumner County Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Vol-State College and later purchased a building on Lock Four Road. This pastorate was from 1994 thru 1999.
He volunteered for the United States Marines during the Korean War and was honorably discharged with the rank of Private First Class following the end of the conflict, which officially ended June 19, 1953 a little over a year following his induction on March 25, 1952.
He was then honorably discharged at Indian Head, Maryland on August 21, 1953 with the rank of Private First Class, where he had been assigned to work in the powder factory.
At the Difficult Masonic Lodge # 451 of Free & Accepted Masons, he received his entered apprentice degree on September 19, 1957, was passed to the second degree on October 17, 1957 and was raised to the sub-lime degree of Master Mason on November 21, 1957. He had served as a Past Master of the Lodge # 451 and in 2007 was awarded his fifty year pin and apron.
He became a Royal Arch Mason in 1958 and also was a member of that chapter for over fifty years.
Bro. Jones had a hobby which was restoring old vehicles to their original showroom condition, both for himself and for the public.
He so looked forward to the annual antique car show in Red Boiling Springs each year and rarely came away without a first place winner in either one of his vehicles or one he had restored for someone else.
Surviving Bro. Jones is his daughter, Jane Jones Shoulders and husband, Mike, of Carthage, son, Anthony Shoulders of the Russell Hill community; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, Shane Jones and wife, Teresa Beasley Jones, of the Tanglewood community and their son, Charles Tyler Jones, Erica Shoulders Goad and husband Jared, of Carthage, Jacky Shoulders and wife, Vasi, of Northbrook, Illinois and their children, Olympia Jane Shoulders and Robby Michael Shoulders.
The Jones family has requested memorials to the Pleasant Shade Cemetery Mowing Fund.
SANDERSON of CARTHAGE
