Oren O. Jones was born June 14, 1925, in Anderson, South Carolina, to parents Emma H. Jones and Harry W. Jones Sr. He attended Presbyterian College and graduated from the University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina School of Law. At the age of 18, Jones volunteered for the U.S. Army and was a veteran of World War II. He was wounded in Italy where he was awarded the Purple Heart.
Jones served as the president of the Anderson County Bar Association, the board of governors for the South Carolina Bar, the Bar’s Grievances and Ethics Committee and the Senior Lawyers Division, and the Anderson Inns of Court. In addition, he served on several commercial boards as well as many banking boards, both local and statewide.
Jones was a member and chair of the board of trustees of the Epworth Children’s Home and the Committee of the Episcopacy. He served on the board of trustees of the Upstate Homeless Coalition of South Carolina and Wesley Commons, a Methodist retirement village. He also served on the Anderson County Board of Education for almost 10 years, the board of Anderson County School District Five, and the board of Anderson School of Theology for Laypersons, serving as chair of the Curriculum Committee.
Jones was a member of the First Baptist Church of Anderson, where he served as deacon, clerk, Sunday school teacher and choir member. He later became a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church, where he served on the administration board, finance board, board of trustees and choir. He was a faithful member of the Anderson Symphony Orchestra from its inception. He was co-founder of the Cardinal Racquet Club, where he served as its first president. He was an avid supporter of the Anderson County Library, Anderson University Library, Anderson County Arts Council, the Arts Warehouse and Anderson YMCA. He was an active Gamecock supporter.
Oren O. Jones died on February 29, 2008. He is survived by his true love of 60 years, his wife, Sarah M. Jones; three children, Nancy J. Sutton (son-in-law, James L. Sutton III), William S. “Steve” Jones (daughter-in-law, Shannon B. Jones) and Oren “Ren” M. Jones; and eight grandchildren, Sarah L.S. Hogan (grandson-in-law, Lee Hogan), Virginia “Claire” Sutton, William S.“Will” Jones Jr., Blair C. Jones, Anna M. Jones, Jessica H. Jones, Oren M. “Fraser” Jones and Oren S. “Shane” Jones.