Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 592
WILLIAM M. JONES

The attention of the reader is now directed to a short sketch of the career of William M. JONES, proprietor of "Oak Hill Farm" in St. Johns township, Harrison county, Iowa, who has not only won an enviable reputation as one of the successful farmers of this thriving section, but who is also widely known as minister of the Primitive Baptist church of Loveland, this county. Mr. JONES is in every respect a self-made man and successful not only in material affairs, but in the better things of life also. In fulfilling his duties to society he ever has been regardful of others and during his residence in this part of the state has acted as administrator of eighteen different estates in Harrison and Pottawattamie counties, all of which have been settled without the intervention of the courts in the way of suits at law, and also has been appointed guardian in the cases of nine minor children, final and satisfactory reports on all of which save two, now under his guardianship, have been made.

William M. JONES is a native of the Hoosier state, born on November 14, 1852, in Greene county, Indiana, about five miles from the town of Linton. He is a son of William M. (senior), whose father was Allan JONES who emigrated to this country from Wales and whose wife, whom he married in Wales, was a Miss SMITH. Allan first located in Indiana and in 1855 the entire family emigrated to this state, settling in Appanoose county, where Allan died. By consulting the sketch of J. Ellis JONES, found elsewhere within this volume, the reader may gain further information regarding the JONES family.

William M., the immediate subject of this sketch, was but three years of age when brought to this state and here the balance of his life has been passed. When a small lad he attended the primitive schools of his district, the school building being a crude log affair and the seats of puncheon, but in spite of many drawbacks, he was attentive to his books and received on his plastic child mind a good foundation for the greater educational structure which he himself reared in later years. He remained under the parental roof until his twenty-third year and on October 3, 1875, he was united in marriage with Tabitha Jane DEAL, of St. Johns township, this county, a daughter of James C. and Hannah (CASE) DEAL, both natives of Indiana, the former of whom was born in Putnam county and the latter in Greene county. In 1852, a few years after their marriage, the DEALS came to this county, settling in the township above mentioned, and there they passed the remainder of their lives. James C. DEAL entered a tract of land in section 24 and owned at one time one hundred and forty acres. In his early life he mastered the miller's art, but after coming to this state he gave his entire time and attention to agricultural labors. He was born January 16, 1824, and died May 4, 1909, and his wife, who died November 4, 1897, was born August 20, 1827. They were united in marriage on February 22, 1846, and became the parents of eleven children, namely: Isaac, their firstborn, born March 17, 1847, died in November of 1902; Sarah is the widow of Thomas ACREA of Logan, Iowa, and was born November 2, 1848; John W., the third child, was born July 30, 1851, and is a farmer in St. Johns township, this county; Timothy N., born May 27, 1855, is located at Schrag, Washington; Tabitha Jane, wife of the immediate subject of this sketch, was born on October 22, 1857; Hannah B., wife of P. C. WOOS; of Sumner, Nebraska, was born on October 20, 1859; Asenith J., born February 25, 1867, is the wife of J. Ellis JONES of this county; James J., born December 1, 1864, is located at Council Bluffs, where he is a cement contractor; Martha A., born March 28, 1867, is the wife of Theodore JONES, of Aledo, Oklahoma; Eli F., born on December 28, 1867, is a farmer in the same state, located at Arapaho, and J. Harvey, the youngest of this interesting family, was born on June 25, 1872, and is located at Missouri Valley, this county.

After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. JONES located in LaGrange township, this county, on Honey creek and remained there until 1877, when they came to St. Johns township and settled about one-half mile east of where their present home is located. They secured one hundred and sixty acres of wild land and set about reclaiming the broad and fertile acres from the grasp of the wilderness. They succeeded well in their undertaking and disposed of it in 1889, moving at that time to a location northwest of Loveland. There they remained for four years, when they sold their possessions and moved to Nobles Lake, this state, where they purchased a tract of land containing one hundred and seventy acres, but remained there only two years, at the end of which time they disposed of their property there and returned to St. Johns township, where they bought a tract of three hundred acres in section 25, known as the Robert MCGAVREN place, which has since been their home. Mr. JONES has, however, sold off and divided his original holdings there until he has at the present time but one hundred and seventy acres, which is given over to general farming and stock raising. Since taking possession of the place, he has remodeled the house and made many other extensive improvements, until the farm stands today as one of the best throughout this section. Ten years ago Mr. JONES retired from the active duties of farming, and has since given his time and energies to the discharge of his duties as a minister of the Gospel.

Mr. and Mrs. JONES have two sons, the eldest being Elzie E., who was born December 29, 1876, and who has been twice married. His first wife was Minnie HOUSE, who bore him two children, Stella M. and Frederic C. Elzie E. chose as his second wife Mary CLARK, who also is the mother of two children, Margaret Ann and Elzie J. Elzie E. attended the schools of his home district when a boy, remained at home with his father and assisted in the work of the farm. While still quite a young man he mastered the blacksmith trade and in the spring of 1914 he took up his residence in Missouri Valley and is interested in a garage where he has won for himself the reputation of being a very fine machinist. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, is also a Yeoman and a Homesteader, while both himself and wife are members of the Daughters of Rebekah.

Bernard Captain, the younger son, was born on September 18, 1883, and was educated in the schools of the home district and later attended school at Woodbine. He married Maude HOWARD and they are the parents of five children, Blanche, Dwight, Verle, Hazel and Alice Lucille. Bernard has always been a farmer and in addition to his own farm of eighty acres, he manages his father's place.

William M. JONES is a Democrat, but of late years has not had much time for political matters. At one time he served as trustee of St. Johns township and took an active part in public matters generally. He is a man who is held in high regard by a large circle of friends and acquaintances to all of whom he stands as a type of true and consistent manhood.

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