Memorial Services for Carolynne Jones will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 11:00am at the Bowman Lutheran Church. Pastor Galen Strand will officiate the Services.

Services will be live-streamed here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/17SbTwMYF5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

In the context of the present national debate concerning immigration, it may

surprise many of you to learn that Carolynne Jones was an immigrant from

Canada! Or she kinda was.

Back in the day when Carolynne’s parents – Buster and Alma – had only

two children (Lorna and Lyle), the two kids would sometimes get severely

on Alma’s nerves. On one such occasion the family pastor suggested that

Alma would benefit greatly if Buster would take her on a short vacation

without the kids.

The idea was adopted with great results. One of which was that when

Buster and Alma left Banff, Alberta, and re-entered the United States they

carried (or at least Alma carried), an extra, extremely wee little passenger,

who hadn’t been with them when they entered Canada.

Happily, the USA accepted Carolynne unreservedly – notwithstanding her

Canadian origins -- as witnessed, for example, by her fellow residents of

Rhame choosing her to serve as its Mayor for seventeen years.

But then Carolynne more than earned this reception.

It is the slightest of exaggerations to say that she spent a lifetime in service

to the developmentally disabled. Her passion on that score was ignited at

the age of 14, when she gave swimming lessons to a young boy with Down

syndrome. From then on there was no looking back. Even when at the age

of 48 she became enmeshed in a lengthy, grim, and scary battle against

ovarian cancer, her commitment to her work was as unflagging as her

treatments would allow.

Vivid evidence of her devotion to her chosen calling is reflected in the 40

years (!) she spent in various executive management roles; all of which

fostered employment, housing, socializing, acceptance, and happiness of

developmentally disabled persons in the greater Bowman community. She

loved them and they loved her.

Before undertaking her Bowman responsibilities, Carolynne successfully

launched and fostered the “Second Story,” a Minot social club for adultswith special needs. Later, for a brief time, she was engaged in similar

activities in Polson, Montana.

Carolynne was born in Williston, ND, on April 15,1952 to Lyle (Buster) and

Alma Jones, their third and last child. Her father ran a bar and her mother

was a homemaker. Sister Lorna was four years older and brother Lyle (jr.)

was three years older than Carolynne. Being a third child is not easy. (For

instance, Lorna would wake little Carolynne at midnight and make her

stand at attention and place her hand on her heart while the local radio

station signed off for the day by playing the Star Spangled Banner.)

Anyway, Carolynne survived this upbringing more or less unscathed, and

after graduating from Williston High (where she participated in swimming

and trampoline), she began her college studies at the University of

Montana at Missoula.

Later she enrolled in Minot State University where she earned a double

major in Elementary Education and Special Education. More importantly,

she met Steve Pfau, who became her husband and (to chance a cliché),

her soul mate. Moreover, through Steve Carolynne gained a wonderful

stepson: Patrick Hynek.

Steve and Caroynne made their home in Rhame, where Steve owned and

operated the Waterhole Bar, and where Carolynne became intimately

familiar with every foot of the highway between Rhame and Bowman.

However, Carolynne at times ventured beyond those 14 miles of blacktop.

She and Steve traveled extensively in the USA and Europe, and for years

she and her sister and two cousins would annually explore various popular

travel destinations in the USA.

Carolynne’s beloved Steve passed away in March of 2025, and his

absence greatly diminished her own life. In fact, it became so

progressively diminished that one can almost claim that she simply faded

away over time, which ultimately led to her peaceful death in her sleep at

her sister’s Minnesota home.

Carolyne was survived by her sister Lorna Van de Streek (Nevin), her

brother Lyle Jones (Noi), and her stepson Patrick Hynek (Andrea).Additional survivors include Lorna’s son, Tristan Van de Streek (Sara) and

her daughter, Hilary Sweeney (Sean); Patrick’s daughters Claire and

Hannah; Tristan’s son, Henry Van de Streek, and his daughter, Lillian Van

de Streek; and Hilary’s daughters Ellington, Caia, and Hadler Sweeney.

Lyle’s son and only child Van Jones predeceased Carolynne.

Carolynne was also survived by Tom and Corrie Fish of Rhame who were

nominally just friends and neighbors, but who in reality were at least

honorary members of the family. More truly, they were Guardian Angels for

Carolynne in her decline, disguised as mere friends and neighbors.

Memorials, if any, should be directed to either Able Inc. in Bowman or the

Bowman Special Olympi