Kenneth "Kenny" Jones (77) of Altamont

Kenneth William Jones 77 years old, of Altamont, Illinois went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ peacefully on Wednesday evening April 5, 2023, at 7:32 PM at HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital, Effingham, Illinois, after being a patient for a short time.

Funeral Services will be held at 5:00 pm on Wednesday April 12, 2023, at the Kull Funeral Chapel, Altamont, Illinois, with the Rev. Jim Watts of Altamont officiating. A visitation will be held for family and friends from 4:00 pm until the time of the funeral service at 5:00 pm. Christian burial rites will follow at Union Cemetery where Kenny will be buried next to his parents.

Kenneth William Jones was born into the Christian family of Bill and Madonna Litzell Jones on April 8,1945 at the St. Anthony Hospital in Effingham, Illinois. He attended Altamont Grade School and Altamont High School for two years or until he reached the age of 16. Kenny was employed by the Frank Brauer Coal and Feed Company in Altamont along with and assisting his father at the rate of .50 cents per hour. Under Fred Naumer Jr.’s administration his father Bill was employed in 1965 as the caretaker of Union Cemetery in Altamont. Both Kenny and his mother Madonna assisted Bill with his mowing, maintenance, and grave openings all by hand work, wheelbarrows, and shovels without machinery, weed eaters and equipment as we know today. and equipment as we know it today. Yes, as Kenny would say 28 wheelbarrows of dirt today for the grave. The family was aware of all those buried in the Union Cemetery and would water flowers and other trimming by hand for those who requested those services. Kenny never obtained a driver’s license, therefore dependent upon his father to drive the family from their small farm to work each day. Eventually the family moved to Altamont from the farm for their employment. Later in 1968 Madonna was placed on the City payroll, and then Kenny in 1977 and he continued this task until he and his parents retired in 1987. The family’s years of service to the city then afforded them their duly pension for employment all those years.

He was proud of service to Altamont and care of the cemetery of which he kept a close eye on out of compassion for Altamont. The residents and area were his family and friends. He was always gracious as by the number of memorials he funded to the Whoo Who Sisterhood and the Lutheran Care Center.

A few simple events he most enjoyed were the Effingham County Fair and the carnival rides he would provide for family and friends. Kenny was very mathematically inclined, a gift that many residents were not aware of but did understand that he would walk everywhere obviously because he never obtained a driver’s license. He was a member of the 1st Church of God in Effingham, until his transportation was diminished.

He is survived by his family, those people from the Altamont area, Cousin Steve (Marsha) Leitzell, and their daughter Karyn Leitzell. Cousin Lorrie (Butch) Bettenhausen and son Brian Bettenhausen of Joliet, Illinois

Kenny was preceded by his parents, uncles Harry and Rollie Jones, Aunt Flora and husband Harley Jones, Uncles Charles Leitzell, Jack, and Mary (Cronenberg) Leitzell, Aunt Reba Mast-Beck. Cousin

Memorials may be directed to the Rebuilding of Union Cemetery Main Gate, The Altamont Garden Club for the City Hanging Plant Program and or the choice of the donor.

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