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From: Colleen Norby <>
Subject: [CA-DEATH-INDEX] John "Jack" Tone, grandson of pioneering rancher
Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2007 19:54:53 -0800 (PST)

John 'Jack' Tone, 97, valley rancher
Remembered for love of farming, handball

By INGA MILLER
BEE STAFF WRITER


Last Updated: January 9, 2007, 05:15:56 AM PST


John Harold "Jack" Tone III, the grandson of the
pioneering rancher who built Jack Tone Road, died
Friday at age 97.
Mr. Tone carried on the family ranching tradition
during the Depression and leading the transformation
from the "dry" years to irrigation farming.

He also made a name for himself playing handball.

Standing about 5 foot 4 inches, Mr. Tone wasn't tall
by stature. But he loomed a large presence — even in
his final years — over the sugar beets, corn, hay and
wheat his family grew on 140 acres they owned on North
Jack Tone Road in Stockton and more than 800 they
leased.

He would walk outside and look at the fields. He would
watch the weather.

"He never took himself out of farming," said his
granddaughter, Marjory Pope. "His whole heart was in
it every day. He went out to the fields, and we said
he fertilized the fields with his shadow."

He was born on May 13, 1909, inthe big brick home his
grandfather, John H. Tone, built in 1870.

John H. Tone had arrived in 1849 from New York and
built Jack Tone Road, which became
thethoroughfareforpeople travelingbetweenStockton
andthe Mother Lode. Stretching between Ripon and
Lockeford, it was known as the longest straight road
in San Joaquin County.

John H. Tone began the family's farming tradition on
the Calaveras River, and when his grandson was born,
the ranch spanned 1,000 acres.

The family also owned land in San Francisco. Mr. Tone
spent part of his teenage years in the city, where
Irish immigrants sparked his lifelong love of
handball.

During the 1970s, he began a decadeslong tradition of
hosting the Jack Tone Super Golden Singles Handball
Tournament, and in 1984, was inducted into the
Northern California Handball Association Hall of Fame.
He was inducted into the Stockton Athletic Hall of
Fame in 2003.

He also supported his wife, Marjory, in Arabian horse
breeding, buying Fabulous Fadjur for her birthday in
1953. The horse was inducted into the Arabian Horse
Hall of Fame.

As a teenager on the ranch, Mr. Tone drove teams of
work horses, milked cows and worked every other kind
of job.

The work ethic served him well during the Depression,
when the family lost all but 100or so acres. Mr. Tone
rebuilt the ranch, and with the help of his wife, made
the transition to modern farming. He bought back some
of the land, but mostly began leasing land to farm,
Pope said.

In 1979, Mr. Tone was elected to the first of four
terms on the Stockton-East Water District where he
served as president and vice president. He always
represented the farmer, Pope said.

"His favorite thing was the bean harvesting," she
said. "One of the things that illustrates his
character is that there were many times where he
almost lost his crop because he was helping neighbors
to get their crops."

Mr. Tone is survived by his wife, Marjory, of
Stockton; five daughters,JacquelinePolk, Joanne Gyr
and Kathleen Hammer, all of Stockton, Susan McCreery
of Galt and Patricia
GilbreathofOakdale;15grandchildren, 22
great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandson.

A memorial Mass will be 11a.m. Thursday at St.
Mi-chael's Church in Stockton, 5882Ashley Lane.

People with memories and copies of photographs of Mr.
Tone are asked to send them to Jack Tone Ranch, 9749
N. Jack Tone Road, Stockton 95215-9132.

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• [CA-DEATH-INDEX] John "Jack" Tone, grandson of pioneering rancher by Colleen Norby <>