Lorraine R. Jones, 100

Lorraine Rose Jones passed away Jan. 10, 2023, at the ripe age of 100 years old. Born May 10, 1922, to John and Rose (Nistler) Kunkel of Pearl Lake, Minn., she was the second of 10 children in a German Catholic family. She never tired of telling animated stories about life on the farm, both the hard work and the fun. After nursing school and serving her country at a field hospital in the Philippines during World War II, Lorraine moved to the West Coast and met her husband Verne (Jack) Jones.

She had a long and vibrant career as a nurse at the American Lake VA Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. Lorraine and Verne built a house in Lakewood, Wash., where Lorraine lived until her early 90s. She loved the view of the lake from her deck, and her prolific raspberry bushes. Her neighbors called her “Farmer Jones,” as she was often seen in the summer carrying a five-gallon bucket down the hill to water the tree she planted beside the lake.

She was an avid golfer, blueberry picker, and active parishioner of St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church. Her exceptional generosity and belief in education resulted in a scholarship fund for low-income students in North Idaho.

Lorraine is preceded in death by her parents, John and Rose; sisters Jeanie and Wally; and brothers Andy, Alvin, Alphonse and Jack. She is survived by two sisters, Donna Grams and Sylvia Winkelman; brother Dick Kunkel; daughter Susan Jones Mitchell and husband Paul; and two grandchildren, Georgia Jones Mitchell and Michael Jon Mitchell and wife Heather.

A Mass and memorial service will be held Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Pearl Lake. Lorraine’s ashes will be laid to rest beside her beloved family at Holy Cross Cemetery.