Trail Blazers: The Free-Spirited and Extraordinary Lives of Ted and Pat Jones

Trail Blazers: The Free-Spirited and Extraordinary Lives of Ted and Pat Jones tells the story of unselfish philanthropy and savvy business judgment — in this case uniquely paired in a most remarkable couple, Ted and Pat Jones.

“Down to earth” is more than a cliche: Ted built what’s now one the world’s most widely held and successful financial partnerships, yet all he ever wanted to be was a farmer. Pat whispered horses, planted vast fields of sunflowers, crusaded for environmental issues, and restored acres of land to an 1840s prairie landscape. They lived wholly and freely as themselves.

This book is about two people who could have done anything, lived anywhere. They chose to plant trees and prairies on a worn out farm in rural Missouri. They supported the causes and interests of the other and although one of them had a name that would become synonymous with finance and investing neither of them cared much about accumulating money.

Pat Jones could whisper horses, dogs, and any human eager to learn about the natural world and Ted was a farmer at heart. Ted and Pat lived simply, abhorred waste, ignored convention. What they cared about was creating places where visitors from around the world, people they would never know, could experience the rich nature of Missouri and enjoy its peaceful countryside.

Today, you see Edward Jones signs everywhere, in big cities and small towns from Alaska to the Florida Keys and from Hawaii to Nova Scotia. There are more than 15,000 of these signs, and the company name is known to millions. Some probably wonder if there really was an Edward Jones.

There were two: a father who began the firm and a son who exploded its possibilities. This book tells you how Ted took a traditional little investment firm and altered its trajectory, making it possible for Edward Jones to change lives, expanding possibilities and opportunities for millions of investors and their families.

A double biography, Trail Blazers is a story of love, bold business savvy and the kind of common sense that is fast vanishing. Thanks to Ted and Pat, it is also funny.

Written by Jeannette Cooperman with cover comments from Former Attorney General John Ashcroft, Former Governor Jay Nixon and Penny Pennington, Managing Partner, Edward Jones.

The publisher of Trail Blazers, Magnificent Missouri, works to conserve and enhance the Katy Trail corridor along the last 100 miles of the Missouri River valley — from Hermann to the Confluence. All proceeds from book sales go to Magnificent Missouri to continue this effort.

Questions? Please send to riverbook2016@gmail.com.