Travis Murl Jones

Services for Travis Murl Jones, 90, will be held March 1st, 2019 at 12:00 P.m. at Legacy Funeral Home, 1604 W. Morris St, Indianapolis with burial at the Floral Park Cemetery. Pastor Sylvia Denman of the Community Caring and Sharing Church will be presiding.

Travis was born May 3, 1928 in Macon County, Tennessee to the late Willie Franklin Jones and the late Effie Mae Knight Jones Wix. His father found work at a radiator manufacturing shop in Indianapolis and following his death in 1931, the family returned to Tennessee. Due to physical and financial constraints, four of the older children became wards, living with different families, with income supplanted by Effie, their mother. Travis was placed with two very wonderful people, the late Willie and Gertie Coley. They took Travis back to Indianapolis, where Willie worked at Ely Lilly. They raised him to manhood and remained a mainstay in his life, as did his mother, until their passing.

Travis is survived by his wife Mary Ann Whitlock Jones and step-sons Virgil Whitlock and wife Nitonia Whitlock, Michael Whitlock, and Rocky Carter, along with numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his daughter Diana Sue Jones (unknown) and one half-brother Maxie C. Wix (Gloria) of Mount Juliet, TN. Travis was preceded in death by three brothers and a sister; Clovis H. Jones of Indianapolis; James O. Jones of Des Moines IA; Jesse G. Jones of Lafayette, TN; and, Lois I. Jones Spears Bednarz of Lansing, IL. Each of his brothers served, successively, in the military during WWII, Korea and Vietnam conflicts.

Travis served in US Military from 1946 until 1952. He was a US Army Motorized Vehicle Operator, during 1946-1947. This period of service included support of Military Police in Alexandria, VA who guarded German POWs. He later served in the 972nd Signal Service Battalion, Schofield Barracks Hawaii. During 1948, both he and his brother Jesse joined the US Navy serving from until 1952, including the Korean War. He was a Boatswain’s Mate and Gunners Mate serving aboard the USS Missouri (BB-63); USS Worchester (CL 144); and the; USS Fargo (CL 106). In 1951 while serving aboard the USS Saint Paul (CA-73) off the Korean Peninsula, while performing duties as a Gunners Mate, a gun turret magazine blew up when a double shot of power was inserted into an artillery gun. As a result of wounds received in a “Combat Zone”, he was hospitalized at Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii and later transferred to USN Hospital Camp Pendleton, CA to recuperate.

After leaving the service, Travis worked on assembly lines at Chrysler in Indianapolis, retiring after 35 years. He then worked at the Indianapolis Speedway as a tour bus driver and for a short period as an usher and groundskeeper for the Indianapolis Indians baseball team. Travis was a member of Community Caring and Sharing Church, Holt Road; Wayne Post 64 American Legion; Speedway Moose Lodge 4917; and Speedway VFW Post 1587. Travis will be provided Military Honors at the graveside.

Travis’s Military Decorations include:
Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Korea Service United Nations Medal, United Nations Medal,