Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Pine Grove Baptist Church in Ellisville for Charles Hurshell Jones, 88, of Ellisville, who died on Sunday, July 6, in Hattiesburg. Burial will follow in Gandy Cemetery in Ellisville. The Rev. Greg Gavin will officiate. Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday, July 11, and one hour prior to the service on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Pine Grove Baptist Church in Ellisville.
Charles was born on Feb. 22, 1937, in Laurel, the son of the late Harmon Eugene Jones and the late Myra Lucille Jones. He grew up in Laurel where he graduated from George S. Gardiner High School in 1954. There, he excelled at playing trumpet in the band and pitching on the baseball team. Having skipped grades from being promoted in elementary school, he graduated from high school at the young age of 16.
After graduating, Charles’ father said he had to learn a trade and get a job, so he worked as a brick layer’s apprentice for two years before becoming a licensed brick mason. In addition, he attended Jones County Junior College where he continued his participation in the band and on the baseball team. He was quite successful as a pitcher there. A “Laurel Leader-Call” article describes how he once struck out 16 batters in a single game. After junior college, he played professional baseball on minor league teams in Florida and Texas before getting married and deciding to return to Mississippi to start a family with his bride, Hazel Hill Jones.
Back in Ellisville, Charles began teaching a large adult Sunday school class at Pine Grove Baptist Church, and it was there that he received the call to preach and was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister. The family moved to Morton, so that Charles could attend Clarke College, a two-year Baptist College, to pursue Biblical studies. While there, he pastored his first church, New Zion Baptist Church in Newton. After graduating from Clarke College, he attended William Carey College in Hattiesburg, while pastoring Pecan Grove Baptist Church in Ellisville. After graduation, he became pastor at Hardy Baptist Church in Grenada. Later, he pastored the First Baptist Church of Nicholson, another term at Hardy Baptist, Star Baptist Church in Star and Harmony Baptist Church in Laurel.
While at Harmony Baptist, Charles was appointed as the Associate Director of Missions for the Jones County Baptist Association where he focused on jail and prison ministries. As a result of this experience, the Southern Baptist Convention Board appointed Charles and his wife, Hazel, as home missionaries to do prison ministries in the Mississippi Delta at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman. In addition, he served as the Director of Missions for the Sunflower County Baptist Association. While in the Delta, he also served as pastor of Linn Baptist Church. Eventually, the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board appointed him Director of Prison Ministries for the entire state. As he neared retirement, he returned to Ellisville where he served as interim and/or supply pastor at numerous churches in the Jones County area including a term at First Baptist Church of Sharon. In all of these endeavors, Charles was a true servant who strongly valued the relationships that he formed. He was a great listener who had a heart full of compassion and understanding.
Charles was devoted to his children and grandchildren, and spent as much time as possible with them. He enjoyed playing catch and teaching baseball skills, helping them with the animals for their 4-H and FFA projects, and working in the garden. He traveled hundreds of miles to attend their many sporting, music and school events. Before Charles passed away, he said that he loved every minute of it and that he would do it all again.
In addition to his parents, his wife, Hazel Hill Jones; his sister, Helen Young; his brother, Pascal Gene Jones; a daughter-in-law, Julie Jones, and one granddaughter, Heather Weber, preceded Charles in death.
Survivors include, his children, Charles H. Jones Jr. (Angela) of Madison, Timothy Jones of Sweetwater, Tenn., Pamela Jones (Luigi Zaninelli) of Hattiesburg, Stan Jones (Nina) of Henderson, Nev., and Gene Jones (Debra) of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; grandchildren, Alex Morgan (Calvin), Gabe Jones, Olivia Jones, Josh Weber (Christy), Gian Luigi Zaninelli, Tyler Jones, Thomas Jones, Emma Jones and Jack Jones; six great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.
Pallbearers will be family and friends.
Online condolences can be expressed to the family at www.ellisvillefuneralhome.com
Ellisville Funeral Home in Ellisville is in charge of arrangements.
