Denny Jones

Denzil Eugene Jones (September 21, 1910 – April 25, 2012) was an American rancher and Republican politician. Jones is remembered as a 13-term member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly in which he represented citizens from four counties in the sparsely populated Eastern part of the state.

Biography Early years Jones, known by his nickname of "Denny," was born September 21, 1910, in rural Morrow County, Oregon, in a house on a wheat farm located between the towns of Ione and Heppner. His family moved briefly to the state of Montana before returning to Wheeler County in Eastern Oregon, where Jones attended public school in the small town of Spray. He completed two years of school at Crook County High School before being pulled out by his father, who had designs on making his diminutive son into a professional racing jockey.

Jones ran the ranch for the next 30 years, serving twice during this time as president of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association (OCA).

Political career In 1971 Jones and his wife Mildred passed the ranch on to one of their sons and moved to the town of Ontario, one of the largest communities in Eastern Oregon.

Jones was a member for 18 years of the powerful Ways and Means Committee as well as the Oregon Legislative Emergency Board, a legislative executive committee dealing with financial matters which periodically met between the regular bi-annual sessions of the state legislature.

At the time of his death Jones was remembered by Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, a former legislative colleague:

"Denny defined Eastern Oregon. He spoke little but said so much. He always called it as he saw it, and never wavered from his conservative principles. His word was better than a written contract."

Among Jones' numerous family survivors were four great-great grandchildren.

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