Ermal Sheldon Jones was born on August 30, 1920 at the Shenandoah hospital to Ernest (Ernie) R. Jones and Grace (McCrary) Jones. He passed away at his home in Coin on August 29th 2022, one day shy of his 102nd birthday.

He grew up on his parent's farm about 7.5 miles south of Shenandoah in Page County. Sheldon attended LaPrairie country school thru the 8th grade. He often rode his blind horse, Sparkle, to school. Farming and raising livestock became ingrained in him at an early age.

After "the worst year of his life" spent as a freshman at a neighboring school, Sheldon transferred to Northboro High School, class of 1938. He was the last living member of that class. It was there he met his lifelong best friend, Clarence Richards, and his future wife, Opal Toland. He would walk a mile to Opal's house and then drive her and her siblings to school in her parent's car. He attended Tarkio College for a short time after graduation, but the call of the open air and blue skies saw him returning home to start farming.

Sheldon and Opal were married in the Northboro Methodist Church on September 12, 1941. They rented several farms in the area before buying the Bolin farm just south of the Coin cemetery in 1952.  There they would raise their two children, Suzanne and Kevin and spend the rest of their lives living and working.

Sheldon was a member of Coin's Community Club and the Farm Bureau. He received the Young Farmer award for conservation. He built most of his own terraces with an old whirlwind terracer. After getting his first tractor, he said if he ever had to go back to using a mule, he'd just quit farming!

Sheldon attended area churches most of his life until he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1984. Sheldon and Opal were sealed together in the Chicago temple in 1986.

Proceeding him in death were his parents, wife Opal, brothers Herschel (infant) and Gordon (Carol) Jones, daughter – in – law Linda Joy (Dixon) Jones, a still born son, his grandparents William (Billy) and Katherine (Henn) Jones, Daniel Vorhees and Julia Lovisa (Benedict) McCrary, step grandfather Clint Mart, in laws Harry and Esther (Elliot) Toland, Edward & Mary Richle, and Darwin Dixon.

Surviving are his daughter Suzanne (Jones) and Paul Richle of Wilmington Delaware, son Kevin S. Jones of Coin, IA, 9 grandchildren Matthew (Stephanie) Richle of Wilmington, DE, Andrew (Vanessa) Richle of Lodi, CA, Adrienne (Justin) Hughes of Wilmington, DE, Mahalia (Richard) Bird of Mapleton, UT, Elizabeth (Jeromie) Miner of Eagle Mountain, UT, Genevieve (Russ) Knight of Midway, UT, Nephi (Andrea) Jones of Brookings, SD, Jacque (Dan) Autry of Coin, IA, Christina (Roger) Salinas of Midland, TX, in-law Ardith Dixon of Coin, IA, 29 great grandchildren and numerous other friends and families.

Funeral Service will be held 11:00 a.m., Monday, September 12, 2022 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Shenandoah, Iowa.  Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., Monday, September 12, 2022 at the church.  Burial will be held at the Union Grove Cemetery in Northboro, Iowa.  Memorials may be directed to the family.