Ask Larry Jones what he does for a living, and he’s got a ready answer.

“I haven’t been doing anything. I’ve been in jail for 33 years,” he said with a grin stretching across his face.

Truth is, he’s half right.

For the past 32 years and two months, Jones has served on the custodial staff at the Meeker County Courthouse and Law Enforcement Center, and Friday he’ll hang up his mop and bucket.

Jones has been a dedicated employee of Meeker County, going far beyond what many would call the line of duty. From crawling inside boilers to sleeping on a cot in the courthouse during a snowstorm, Jones is known for his positive attitude and commitment to the job.

“He’s a very dedicated employee,” County Administrator Paul Virnig said. “They kind of broke the mold when they made Larry.”

Jones was hired as a custodian at the Meeker County Courthouse in 1976. In those days the courthouse was a new facility with a three-person custodial staff. Within a couple of years, a law enforcement center was built behind the courthouse, so the custodial staff took over cleaning the jail, too.

Today, Jones’ staff has only grown by half a person while the duties have expanded to include more square footage, more personnel and more prisoners.

“I was always proud of the fact that the custodians kept getting things added on, but our staff has stayed the same,” Jones said.

People can say goodbye to Jones at an open house retirement reception from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday at the courthouse.

Read more about Jones' dedication to the job in the Aug. 28 Independent Review print edition.