Ken Jones
- I was born and raised in Hannibal, spent 7 years at Eugene Field, 2 years at Central Jr. High and the final 3 years at Hannibal High School and was one of the 185 graduates in 1948.
- After high school I attended and graduated from Hannibal-LaGrange Junior College in 1950. While there I met my future wife, Nancy Johnston. I attended Arizona State College in Flagstaff, Arizona on a basketball scholarship.
I was drafted in 1952 during the Korean conflict, spent my basic training at Camp Gordon, Georgia, was assigned to Army Intelligence and spent the rest of my Army career as a Cryptographic Specialist at the Pentagon.
While on furlough in December of 1952, I returned to Hannibal and Nancy and I were married. We celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary on December 21, 2002.
Upon my discharge from the Army in 1954, I attended Culver-Stockton College and earned a BS in Education. After graduation I taught Biology and coached boys and girls basketball and baseball for 2 years at Wright City High School. While teaching I became a part time agent for State Farm Insurance Company. We later moved to their regional office in Columbia, Missouri. I retired after 39 years as an Underwriting Supervisor.
Nancy and I have a daughter, Karen, five grandchildren and one greatgrandson. We lost our other daughter, Debbie, to an automobile accident in 1999.
Weather permitting, Nancy and I enjoy gardening and working in the yard. My hobbies include collecting old name bricks and I have been Treasurer of the International Brick Collectors Association for the past 20 years. I enjoy collecting movie memorabilia and have co-authored several books on the movies. I enjoyed tennis and table tennis until my knees surrendered a few years ago. I still play golf and have been known to occasionally sneak up on a fish.
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