Raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm, Gary F. Jones went to high school in a small town dominated by the old, brick brewery built by his great-grandfather and grandfather. He grew up hearing stories of the tunnels and caverns under the brewery and the town's main streets. The brewery, used since prohibition as a canning factory and later a feed mill, was demolished in 2015. The lot is still empty, though the old brewery office building and bottling plant are still standing. Jones practiced veterinary medicine, before returning to graduate school.