Felix Benjamin Jones

Ben Jones, a wonderful husband, dad, uncle and friend, went home to be with Jesus on Monday, April 13, 2026 after a battle with Alzheimer’s.

Born October 8, 1935 to Howard Harrison and Ruth Jones in Petronila, Texas, Ben started school in Robstown. The family moved to Stephenville in 1952 where he graduated from Stephenville High School and was the Drum Major of the band, playing the clarinet and alto sax. It was there that he met the love of his life, Bettye Jean Wood.

Ben went on to Tarleton State College and married Bettye on January 28, 1957. He joined the Aggie Band, graduated from Texas A&M in 1958 with a degree in Business and took an Army commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. Ben and Bettye then headed to Fort Knox, Kentucky in their Kaiser-Frazer Henry J, where Ben went to Armor School to learn tank warfare. Being a shade tree mechanic, Ben loved all things mechanical; he really loved his time in the M-48 Patton tank and loved shooting the 90MM cannon. He’d also roll up his sleeves and show the tank mechanics how to fix something that was broken.

After active duty with the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas (where son, Ben, Jr., was born) he transferred into the Army Reserves, moved with Bettye to Mathis, Texas (where son, Lee, was born) took command of a reserve tank company (as a Captain) in Sinton and started a civilian career in Corpus Christi in the land title business.

After completing his reserve commitment, Ben’s title company job took him briefly to Dallas and then to Houston, where the family lived for 20 years. They then moved to Morgan Mill into Bettye’s dream home to be close to her parents (Robert Lee and Lillian Wood). While Bettye enjoyed being close to family and getting involved in the community, Ben managed a portfolio of mortgage loan and real estate investments, tinkered with tractors, tended his small cattle herd (and Bettye’s pet longhorns) hunted squirrels, drank coffee with friends and watched the sun set with Bettye. Ben also enjoyed his crop of blue bonnets in the front yard; they are still there today!

Ben lost his dear Bettye in 2010. He is survived by his sons, Ben, Jr. (Holly) and Lee (Jerry), his sister, Faith Harp, sisters-in-law Joyce Wood, Fran Lawrence and Laura Jones and many nieces and nephews.

The family sends best wishes to all his friends at Morgan Mill Baptist Church and Jake & Dorothy’s Cafe. For all the love and help, the family is very grateful to Haylee, Raegan, Adriana, Tyne, Lauren and all his caregivers at Nurse Next Door, Nora and Tori and the staff at Solaris Hospice, the staff at Stephenville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, our dear friend, Lore Dietrich, the Tony Landes family and Pastor Joe Rogers.

A funeral service will be held at Morgan Mill Baptist Church at noon on Monday, April 20, 2026, followed by interment and a reception with lunch. Honorary pallbearers are Jerry Esquibel, Chuck Harris, Ken Harris, Glenn Gaines, Tony Landes and Joe Rogers.

In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to Morgan Mill Baptist Church, PO Box 38, Morgan Mill, TX 76465

Rest assured that Ben’s first question to Saint Peter will be,”What do you mean I can’t shoot the squirrels??”