Nellie
(Brown) Jones
(1867-1952)
Nellie (Brown) Jones was born near
Cardington, Morrow County, OH on Dec. 6, 1867, the daughter of James
R. and Lydia (Miner) Brown. As
a girl, she and her parents were pioneers of the west, and her writings later in
life provide a window into the early settlement of Oklahoma.
At about age one, Nellie moved with her family to DeSoto, Dallas County, IA, where they stayed for nine years. In 1877, they moved again, to Montezuma, Poweshiek County, IA, remaining two years. They then moved to Medicine Lodge, Barber County, KS in 1879.
While in Kansas, in 1885, the family dwelling was hit by a flash flood in the middle of the night, sparing the Browns' lives but claiming 40 head of cattle. To see Nellie's vivid memoir, click here.
In 1889, the family settled near Kingfisher (Crescent), OK. To claim land for their very own, Nellie and her sister, brother and father took part in the "Great Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889." To read her account of the adventure, click here.
Nellie married Martin
"Luther" Jones (1864-1930) in Kingfisher on Jan. 26, 1892. She
was age 25 at the time of marriage, and he was 28.
Nellie, Luther and their son Clyde are seen here in an image taken at a photography studio in Lyndon, KS. Nellie's hair may have turned prematurely gray, as a streak of lighter hair can be seen above her left temple.
Luther also was an Ohio native. He was born on Feb. 1, 1863 at Zanesville, Muskingum County, OH, and came with his mother and sister to Kansas in February 1883, settling in the town of Waverly. He lived in Waverly for 28 years and resided at one time in Mineral Point, KS, a town which later changed its name to "Amiot."
The Joneses had five children -- Myrtle Inez Jones, Clyde J. Jones, Ella "Hazel" Bearly, Luther Roy Jones and Alta "Gladys" Vaxie Rhodes.
Tragically, only
three of
their children lived to adulthood. The family suffered the
deaths of daughter Myrtle at age three in 1896 (seen at far left) and son Luther
(age unknown, seen here) in 1916.
When the federal census was taken in 1900 and 1910, the Joneses made their home in or near Harris, Reeder Township, Anderson County, KS. Luther made a living as a farm laborer.
They later migrated 12 miles to the southeast to Mont Ida, Anderson County and eventually moved again 31 miles east across the county line to Parker, Linn County. They were members of the Presbyterian Church in Amiot, and later at the Methodist Church in Goodrich, KS.
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| Early hardware and apothecary store in Parker, KS |
When the federal census was taken in 1930, the Joneses were enumerated in Westphalia Township, Anderson County. Luther, age 66, continued his work as a general farmer. Unmarried daughters Hazel and Gladys both lived under their roof and both were teachers in the local public school.
In the photo
seen at right, Luther and
Nellie stand at left in the back row, apparently with their adult children and a
grandchild, at a date unknown.
Luther died at home near Mount Ida on Dec. 1, 1930, at the age of 66.
Nellie survived him by 22 years and passed away on March 13, 1952, at the home of her married daughter Hazel. She was buried at Baird Cemetery, west of Harris, near Amiot. At her funeral, the music included "Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown?" and "No Night There."
In
1971, nearly two decades after Nellie's death, she and Luther and their adult
children were remembered in the book Ancestral and Chronological History and Lineage of the Family of Luther
White and Mahala (Minor) White, Their Forbears and Descendants, 1665-1971.
The volume, published in Kansas City, was co-authored by J.
Blanche (Clark) Tarter, Edith M. (Peterie) Hoyt and Verda (White) Richey.
Daughter Ella "Hazel" Jones taught school for 35 years. She studied at the teachers college in Pittsburg, Kansas, and in 1931 wrote a history of her family's pioneering adventures. She married Robert Orval Bearly on Feb. 15, 1941, who brought three sons to the marriage. They made their home 15 miles to the east of Garnet, KS, but later moved to Wellsville, KS, circa 1960. Robert passed away on March 31, 1969.
Daughter Alta "Gladys" Jones was married twice. Her first husband was Lee Vaxie, and they were wed in the early 1930s. Following Lee's untimely death, she married her second husband, Hubert Rhodes. Glad taught school for three decades and circa 1971 was an educator in Hillsdale, Miami County, KS.
Son Clyde J. Jones married Nellie. They made their home in Edcouch, TX. Their three children were Jarden Jones, Douglas Jones and Linda Gray.
Copyright © 2000-2002, 2008 Mark A. Miner