On the morning of January 27th with family by his side Kenneth R. Jones, Sr. went to meet his Savior. Ken was born on January 18th, 1924 in Augusta, Maine to William Jones Sr. and Ethel (Raymond) Jones. Most of his childhood was spent in the Readfield, Wayne, Winthrop and New Sharon area. His father was a farm boss and his mother played piano for silent movies. Ken was born third of four children and was a prankster from his early days on the farms which his father managed. Just after his 19th birthday in January of 1943, Ken would enlist in the armed forces. A few months later after arriving in Nemours, Algiers, North Africa, Ken would volunteer for an elite fighting force known as Darby’s Rangers. Ken’s training was grooming him to take part in the European Theatre in the Sicilian and the Italian Campaign where he would fight alongside commanders such as Lt. General Mark Clark and General George Patton. Ken’s weapon was a Browning Automatic Rifle. He was known as a “BAR” man, a specialized sharpshooter trained in mountainous, and amphibious night warfare. He was one of very few Rangers surviving Cisterna which was a grim but proud story of these brave men who gave their lives. He should have been sent home on furlough, but instead was attached to the First Special Service Force. In the early morning hours of May 23rd, 1944 while breaking out from the four month hold on Anzio Beachhead he was mortally wounded. After crossing Mussolini Canal, the bridge blew behind him leaving him stranded on the other side without support. He was hit by shrapnel on his left side and then shot with an 8 mm. rifle through his right shoulder, hitting his right lung. After being discharged in December of 1944, he returned home to Maine. Shortly after, he met and married Sylvia Belden, a young girl from Winthrop. They would raise four sons to adulthood in their home of Temple, Maine. Ken was a hardworking lumberman despite his injuries and experience of war. He was an avid hunter of coon, bear, deer, and cat. He was known for his well-trained hounds and later for his tiny lap dogs. A fisherman at heart, tying his own flies and catching the largest of trout and salmon. Even if the ice was half out you could find him fishing on Quimby Pond or trolling on Varnum with great success. If it could be done outdoors, he was there and later in life camping almost to his 95th birthday. He was predeceased by his wife Sylvia in 2010, an infant son Gerry and a grandson, Jacob Jones. He is survived by his sons Kenneth Jr., and his wife Kelly of Temple, Lawrence (Lonny) and his wife Starr of Florida, Douglas and his wife Shery of Farmington, and Leon and his wife Janet of California. He is survived by five grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. He is also survived by his companion Irene Givens who has faithfully loved and cared for him for over nine years. The family is grateful for the kind caring service of the staff at Sandy River Nursing Home where we know he will not be forgotten. We are also grateful for the local veterans who honored Ken and his service in World War II. Memorial Visitation will be held from 1:00 to 2:00PM with a memorial service to follow at 2:00PM on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at the Wiles Remembrance Center: Adams-McFarlane Chapel 137 Farmington Falls Road, Farmington. Interment with military honors will be at a later date in Winthrop next to his wife Sylvia. A kind word may be left on his memorial wall at www.wilesrc.com