Delores Jean Jones
Delores Jones, age 97 of Herman, Minnesota, passed away Monday, May 11, 2026, at Stevens Community Medical Center in Morris, Minnesota.
Visitation for Delores Jones will be held Monday, May 18, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a 6:30 p.m. Prayer Service at the Bainbridge Funeral Home in Herman, MN.
Visitation will continue from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at St. Charles Catholic Church in Herman, MN.
Mass of Christian Burial for Delores Jones will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at St. Charles Catholic Church in Herman, MN, with Fr. Jose Chettoor Celebrant. Organist will be Marilyn Backman.
Interment will be in St. Charles Catholic Cemetery, rural Herman, MN.
Delores Jean (Neumann) Jones was born on July 19, 1928, in Wahpeton, North Dakota to Edward and Mae Neumann. She was Baptized at St. John’s Catholic Church in Wahpeton. The Neumann Family lived in Wahpeton for a few years where Delores’ Dad ran his own auto-repair shop until the events of the Great Depression hit. The Family then moved out to the 40.0 acres of woodlands that was east of Erhard, Minnesota. Delores was catching the bus and heading off to country school. The economic times turned around, and the Family moved out to the Farm northwest of Rothsay, MN. Delores built a Great Work Ethic working on the Farm: working in the field, milking cows (by hand), learning to cook and can. When it came to cooking and she didn’t have an ingredient, she always knew a substitute to make it work.
Delores graduated from Rothsay High School on May 29, 1946. She was the Class Valedictorian. Delores continued her education after High School at Fergus Falls Teachers Training. She completed the course work and obtained her Teacher’s Certificate.
So starts the teaching career of Delores Jones: Her first position was teaching at a rural school in Wilkin County, MN. In this setting, she was responsible for teaching all eight grades with added responsibilities of keeping the heating stove going in the winter. She then taught in Donnelly and Alberta, MN Schools. The decision then came to attend Moorhead State College working her way through college to obtain her four-year teaching degree. She graduated from Moorhead State College in 1953. After graduation she took a sixth-grade teaching position in Herman, MN, where she met the “Love of Her Life”, Donald Jones.
In May, one of her fellow teachers bet Delores a six pack and dared her to ask Don Jones to the prom. At the time teachers in Herman were invited to attend. This was the beginning of many dates for Don and Delores. Don popped the question at Sam Brown’s Log Cabin in Browns Valley, MN. They were united in Marriage at St. Francis Catholic Church in Benson, MN on January 8, 1955. After a weekend honeymoon in Stillwater, MN, Delores and Don made their home above the Benson Corner Café. Delores was teaching in Benson from 1954 to 1955. Don became the commuter driving back and forth to Herman to continue working at the First National Bank of Herman. In March, they moved into the famous Forsberg Apartments in Herman. Now, Delores was the commuter. The Benson School system had a rule that they would not employ married women to teach, only to finish the year out. At the end of school year, Delores had no teaching position in Benson.
From famous Forsbergs Apartments, they purchased their first and only home at 305 5th St E Herman in September of 1955. They were blessed with two children-John and Mary were born. The family took numerous trips near and far. Delores loved to travel, and with her history degree filled us in on much of the history in locations we traveled. Delores loved to fish, raise flowers, garden and process the produce. She loved taking flowers up to St. Charles Church and keeping them watered during the summer. Delores enjoyed reading books and doing crossword puzzles too. She also attended John and Mary’s numerous athletic events. She also really liked to put jigsaw puzzles together and play different card games. There were many days where Marge, Arlene, Betty, and Dody were over playing cards and having coffee and goodies. They also played many Saturday evening card games after church with Don and Marge Larson. There were many conversations and laughs. Delores also loved getting together with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, along with nieces and nephews to have a meal and visit.
Delores decided to go back to teaching full time in Herman when John headed off to first grade in fall of 1963. She took the position of teaching sixth grade, where she taught until her retirement in the spring of 1990. With both Delores and Don retired this gave them more time to fish in the summer, travel, camp at the lake, and of course play more cards with family and friends.
Delores was an active member of St. Charles Catholic Church. She was active in the Ladies Guild, teaching religious education, cleaning and helping decorate the church. At the Fall Festival, she was one of the leads on the lump free gravy crew. She loved her faith in God and passed it down to many others.
Delores is survived by her son: John Jones (significant other, Ronda Herman); daughter: Mary (Charles) Rumsey; two grandchildren: Rachel Jones and Mark (Kelly) Jones; four great-children: Finn and Rhys Belknap and Maggie and Bernie Jones; special friend and caregiver: Linda Schmidt; close friend and neighbor Arlene Aanden; one sister-in-law: Ruth Jones; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
Delores was preceded in death by her husband: Donald Jones; granddaughter: Sarah Jones; great-granddaughter: Kale Olson; parents Ed and Mae Neumann; mother and father-in-law: Walter and Margaret Jones; brothers and sisters-in-law: James (Marcella) Neumann, David (Alida) Neumann, Charlie (Dody) Jones, James (Donna) Jones, George Jones, Elizabeth (Bud) Smith, Kathryn (Clayton) Zimkowski, and Alice (Edward) Hunt: nieces: Janice Tolifson and Twyla Nuemann; and nephew: Phil Lane.
In lieu of flowers, memorials could be made in Delores’ memory to the St. Charles Cemetery Fund or the charity of your choice.
Arrangements are with Bainbridge Funeral Home in Herman, MN.
