A Life of Adventure & Innovation
Ken was born east of Bethel, Missouri, on May 6, 1921. He later married his wife, Marge (Magruder) Jones. A funny story: Ken grew up in Bethel and attended school there and in Stafenville, while Marge grew up in Shelbina—just a town or two away. Despite their close proximity growing up, they never met until they both moved to St. Louis and began working at the same company. Marge delivered mail there, and Ken said he was lucky enough to be at the desk the day she came by. That chance meeting led to a lifelong partnership.
They were married in Arkansas in September 1947 because there was no waiting period to get married there. Ken and Marge were together for 63 years, and he often reflects on what a wonderful marriage they shared. While they didn’t have children, their life together was full of adventures.
Ken had an extraordinary career. He worked at McDonnell Douglas for 43 years. The company leased him out to the Air Force, which allowed him to travel the world—visiting countries like Iran, France, Morocco, Germany, Great Britain, and Japan, as well as many places across the United States. He attended Bethel School and later Washington University in St. Louis, where he majored in Electrical Engineering.
Ken enjoys playing Pitch, discussing politics, sharing stories from his many travels, and checking the stock market.
From a young age, Ken had a passion for science and loved learning how things worked. When he was in 6th or 7th grade, he built a radio out of spare parts—becoming the only one in his neighborhood with a working radio, which made his house a popular gathering spot. Around the age of 12 or 13, he even installed a homemade light on his dad’s tractor so they could work at night—long before tractors came equipped with lights.
Ken Jones is a truly fascinating individual. He has experienced more in one lifetime than most could imagine. Among his many incredible accomplishments, he shared that he worked on the wiring for the first atomic bomb and contributed to the F-86 aircraft—the plane that broke the sound barrier.
