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.

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.

[1] 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.

[1] In 1939, Jones went into a business partnership with a cousin who owned two cattle ranches, one near the small Oregon town of Jonesboro and the other in close proximity to Juntura.

[4] 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 rode atop a restored stagecoach in a parade held to mark the opening of the event, waving to the crowd.

[4] Jones was also feted with a mid-day chuck wagon lunch at the capitol, attended by former Oregon Governor Victor Atiyeh.