Alonzo Theodore “Lon” Adams II (1925-2020)

Alonzo Theodore “Lon” Adams II Veteran

Birth

15 Mar 1925

Davenport, Scott County, Iowa, USA

Death

28 Nov 2020 (aged 95)

Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, USA

Burial

Oakwood Cemetery

Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, USA Add to Map

Memorial ID

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Scientist. Developed the Slim Jim recipe for GoodMark Foods. Born in Davenport, Iowa, he joined the United States Army during World War II after graduating from high school. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division and was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. He received his bachelor degree from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa; followed by his Masters Degree in Microbiology from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. As a senior scientist at GoodMark Foods, he developed the recipe for Slim Jim Jerky that is used today. Invented by Adolph Levis in 1928, it was primarily sold in bars in the Northeast. In 1967 the parent company, Cherry-Levis, was sold to General Mills for $20 million dollars. Production was moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where it was merged with Jesse Jones Sausage Company to create GoodMark Foods. For the 25 years Adams worked at GoodMark, he developed and perfected the recipe for Slim Jim Jerky, a slim smoked sausage made of beef, chicken, and thirty spices. ConAgra bought GoodMark in 1998. Adams passed away from Covid-19 at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina.