The Jones Families of Lyon County, Minnesota

EVAN C. JONES, SR. (1877) is a dealer in caskets in the village of Russell. He is a native of Wales and was born January 22, 1842. He learned the carpenter's trade and worked at it in the old country until twenty-four years of age. His parents were John and Grace (Jones) Jones, both of whom died in Wales. They were the parents of six children, as follows: Winnie (Mrs. Morris Jones), of Wales; Jennett Thomas, Jane Jones and Griffith, of Wales; Ann and Richard Jones, of Utica, New York.

Our subject came to the United States when twenty-four years of age and settled in Rutland county, Vermont. There he worked in the state mines thirteen years. In 1877 he came to Lyon county and homesteaded the northeast quarter of section 8, Lyons township. He secured his claim in this way: The man who held the quarter section was a squatter, having failed to secure a right to the land. Mr. Jones was looking around for a claim and came across this man and offered to buy him out, and the squatter consented to sell. Mr. Jones paid him fifteen dollars in cash for the farm and fifteen bushels of potatoes.

Mr. Jones lived in a sod shanty on the place several years. During the snow year (1881) he went to Balaton for provisions on snow shoes, which he had made from red elm lumber. At that time the snow was over the telegraph poles. He resided on his Lyons township farm until 1900, when he sold to his son and moved to Russell, where he now resides. Since moving to Russell he has been engaged in selling caskets at the hardware store of his son, E. C. Jones, Jr.

Mr. Jones was a member of the Township Board of Supervisors of Lyons township and was chairman of the board.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

Mr. Jones has in his possession a clock of considerable historical importance. It is the first time-piece bought by the Lyon county commissioners and for many years was used by them in the old building which stood on the present site of the Lyon county court house. Prior to moving into the new court house the officers sold some of the old furniture and among the lot was this old clock. Mr. Jones was present and bid it in for twelve cents. The clock is still doing duty and keeping good time in E. C. Jones' hardware store at Russell.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

THOMAS C. JONES (1901) is the owner of the north half of the northeast quarter of section 17, Lyons township. He has resided in Lyon county eleven years. Thomas Jones was born in Wales February 13, 1854, and at fourteen years of age came to the United States with his parents and located in Ohio. There he worked in the coal mines four years and at Danville, Illinois, until 1881.

In the year last mentioned our subject, accompanied by his brother, John, immigrated to Redwood county, Minnesota. He worked at farm labor several years, after which he spent ten years as a collector, being employed by John H. Bowers, an attorney at Redwood Falls. In 1901 Mr. Jones came to Lyon county, purchased his Lyons township farm, and has resided there since. He was clerk of Lyons township eight years, treasurer one year and clerk of school district No. 69 for six years. Mr. Jones has stock in the Farmers Elevator Company of Russell and is secretary of the company. He holds membership in the Modern Woodmen and Modern Brotherhood of America lodges.

Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Rose A. White at Renville, Minnesota. Mrs. Jones was born in Lesueur county, Minnesota, September 21, 1864, a daughter of Nathan D. and Urane (Frazer) White, natives of New York. During the Sioux outbreak of August, 1862, Mrs. White was taken captive by the Indians and was held six months before being released. Mr. and Mrs. Jones are the parents of the following named children: William N., Evan C, T. Harold, Myrtle U.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

HUGH H. JONES (1874) has been a farmer in Custer township since 1888 and has been on his present farm, the south half of section 13, the past two years.

Mr. Jones was born in Racine, Wisconsin, May 10, 1858. His parents, Richard R. Jones and Margaret (Hughes) Jones, were both natives of Wales. The former died thirty-six years ago in Lake Crystal, Minnesota, and Mr. Jones' mother is a resident of Garvin. Hugh lived in Racine until nine years old, and then the family moved to Lake Crystal, where they lived until 1874, coming then to Lyon county and making their home on section 10 in Custer township. Hugh received his education in the public schools of Lake Crystal and in the district school of Custer. He remained on the home farm until his marriage in 1888.

Our subject was married February 13, 1888, in Custer, to Elenor Price, a native of Blue Earth county. Four children have been born to the union: Ruth, born April 18, 1890; Mabel, born August 16, 1902; Richard and Reese, twins, bora May 7, 1894.

After his marriage Mr. Jones began farming for himself in Custer township, and has been a continuous resident there since that time.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

EVAN M. JONES (1897) is the proprietor of a general merchandise store at Garvin, postmaster of that village, editor of the Garvin Leader, and interested in several other enterprises of his town. He has resided in the county fifteen years and has become prominently identified with Garvin's business and social interests. During the entire forty-five years of his life he has lived in Minnesota.

Our subject was born in Blue Earth county January 19, 1867, and spent his early years there. He was educated in the Mankato Normal School and at the age of seventeen years began teaching school,, which he followed several years. He located in Murray county in 1890 and for seven years engaged in farming. Mr. Jones became a resident of Lyon county in 18 97, when he located at Russell and established a general merchandise store. One year later he disposed of that and engaged in business in Garvin, being the third merchant to become established in that village. He erected at that time the building in which he has since conducted the business.

Mr. Jones has served as postmaster of Garvin since September, 1900, and he has edited the Garvin Leader since June, 1911. He is treasurer of the Garvin Creamery Company, secretary of the local Board of Education, and one of the directors of

EVAN M. JONES Postmaster, Merchant and Editor of Garvin.

FRANK D. PINCKNEY Cashier of the Farmers State Bank of Garvin.

One of Minnesota's First Rural Mail Carriers.

DR. E. L. HALL Physician and Druggist of Russell.

the Farmers State Bank of Garvin. Fraternally he is a Mason and a Woodman.

In Blue Earth county, on October 19, 18 89, Mr. Jones was wedded to Maggie J. Williams. She was born in Wisconsin and died March 7, 1901, at the age of thirty-two years. As a result of this union three children were born, Allen, Benjamin and Margaret. The second marriage of Mr. Jones occurred May 30, 1902, when he wedded Clara Helleson, a native of Lyon county and a daughter of Clemet Helleson, an early settler. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have two children, Mabel and Vivian.

The subject of this biography is of Welsh descent. His father, William P. Jones, was born in Wales July 15, 1828, came to the United States in 1847, lived in Jackson county, Ohic, until 1856, and then became a resident of Blue Earth county, Minnesota. There he became a prominent citizen. He was a member of the Home Guards at the time of the Indian War, and in 1877 he served as a member of the Minnesota Legislature. He died at Lake Crystal May 28, 1908. Our subject's mother, Margaret (Walters) Jones, was born in Wales in 1831 and now resides at Lake Crystal. There were sixteen children in the family, of whom the following named thirteen are living: John, William, Ursula, Maggie, Ann, Mary, Stephen, Thomas, Elizabeth, Evan M., Walter, Samuel and Dorothy.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.