By CHRIS PARKER

cparker@tnonline.comIt's a warm, sunny Saturday morning, and I'm sitting on a wooden pew, about halfway back from the pulpit, in First Methodist Church, in the heart of Pottsville.In the front row, a stocky man with a shock of thick white hair sits hunched, a handkerchief pressed to his eyes.Attorney Joseph Jones, the patriarch of a venerable Schuylkill County family, a man whose calm, confident courtroom demeanor is the stuff of legend, buckles under the grief of the loss of his grandson, Capt. Jason Benjamin Jones.Jason Jones, 29, died in action on June 2 in near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. A Green Beret, he had been commanding a team of Special Forces soldiers.Jason grew up in Orwigsburg. From childhood, he demonstrated keen intelligence, and a strong, ethical and humble character. Here was a future leader.He graduated with honors from Blue Mountain High School, then continued his trajectory, majoring in nuclear engineering at U.S. Military Academy Military Academy. In 2007, he graduated sixth in his class of 1,314, a fact his parents didn't learn until they watched as he received his diploma from Vice-President Dick Cheney.Jones was clearly one of Schuylkill County's best and brightest, a shining star in a county too-often maligned and mocked.Built on the backs of immigrants who toiled in the coal mines and sewing factories, the county has a reputation for down-to-earth people."Skooks," as many proudly call themselves, are a hardscrabble lot who don't hesitate to plunk their last dollar into a collection bucket for a family whose child is ill or who has lost their home to fire.They'll help a stranded driver, rescue an animal in trouble and shovel their elderly neighbor's sidewalk.Skooks are just as quick to knock back a drink or two, or three (the county's alcoholism rate among the highest in Pennsylvania, according to several studies), and about 12 percent of residents live in poverty.But Skooks are also known for their strong faith that the county has a church and a bar on every corner is so much a part of the culture that a song, "Churches & Bars," was written about it.And of course, we can't forget famous Yuengling Brewery, long touted as America's oldest.Skooks are also a patriotic bunch: More than 10 percent of residents are veterans.Schuylkill County has produced renowned musicians (Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey were born in Shenandoah), military leaders (Gen. George Joulwan of Pottsville was Supreme Allied Commander in Europe from 1993-1997); and writers (author John O'Hara lived in Pottsville) and artists (still-life painter Rubens Peale hailed from the Schuylkill Haven area), and judges, including U.S. District Court Judge John E. Jones, who last month lifted the stone of discrimination from gay and lesbian couples, granting them the same right to marry as everyone else.So, before you blurt the term "Skook" as a put-down, remember those Skooks who laid down their lives for our country, who made our world more beautiful through their art, more enlightened through their writings, happier through their music, and more free through their court rulings.