Joseph John Malone was born May 17, 1919, in Pierre, South Dakota, to John and Mary (Horrigan) Malone and grew up on a ranch outside of Milesville, South Dakota.  He attended Philip High School, graduating in 1937.  He was active in football, track and glee club while in Philip.

After a year on the ranch, he entered the SD School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City.  There he earned a degree in general engineering and graduated in January of 1943.  Since it was war-time he went to New Jersey to work for Curtiss-Wright developing electrical controls for airplane propellers.

On July 13, 1943, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he married Helene E. Blackstone, a teacher from Rapid City.  This union was blessed with two children, Kathleen and Richard.

In 1946, after the war, Joe returned to South Dakota and joined Northwestern Bell.  He started in Deadwood, and later worked in Rapid City, South Dakota; Omaha, Nebraska; Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Fargo, North Dakota.  He started out in the plant department, moved to engineering and ended up in pricing and marketing before he retired 34 years later.  While in pricing, he helped originate the concept of Of-Peak Pricing for telephone calls, which was initiated in South Dakota because of the two time zones.  It was a successful idea and has since spread around the world.

In Pennsylvania, he was on loan to Bell Laboratories, and there he helped refine the early transistors.  He spent his last 18 years with Ma Bell in Omaha, retiring in 1981.

During his career and afterwards, Joe was active with the North Dakota and Nebraska Societies of Professional Engineers, the Telephone Pioneers, the Nebraska Republican Party and the Knights of Columbus.  He always retained his interest in South Dakota, especially in Milesville and Philip.

After his parent's deaths, he purchased the ranch from his brother and sister, which gave him a good reason to visit the area.  The summer of 1997, he attended a reunion of several classes from the late 1930's in Philip, at which he enjoyed visiting with friends and classmates.

After his wife, Helen, died in 1994, Joe's health began to decline.  He moved to Winsted at the end of 1996, to be closer to the Schoenfelder grandchildren and his daughter, Kathy and her husband, ken.  They enjoyed his company at many family events during the 13 months he lived in Winsted and accompanied him to Philip last July.

Joe is survived by his daughter and her husband, Kathy and Ken Schoenfelder of Winsted, MN, and his son and his wife, Richard and Marlene Malone of Plattsmouth, NE; 8 grandchildren: Matthew Schoenfelder, Nagono, Japan; Mark (Teresa) Schoenfelder, Brooklyn Center, MN; Luke (Mollee) Schoenfelder of Elk River, MN; John Schoenfelder of St. Paul, MN; Samuel, Elin, Mary and Kristine Schoenfelder, all of Winsted; one great grandchild, Rebecca Schoenfelder, Brooklyn Center, MN; a brother, Dr. Tom Malone (Rosalie) of West Hartford, CN; a sister, Jane Froslie of Northfield, MI; a sister-in-law, Edith Blackstone of Lafayette, LA; as well as cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Mass of Christian Burial
10:00 a.m.
Tuesday, August 3, 1999
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Philip, South Dakota

Celebrant
Father Arnold Kari

Music
Marianne Frein - Organist

Vocalists
Congregational Hymns

Honorary Pallbearers
All relatives and friends in attendance

Interment
9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, August 3, 1999
Masonic Cemetery
Philip, South Dakota