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| The infant in this picture is John Stilwell Jones. The adults (from left to right) are Mary Elva (Stilwell) Jones, John Roberts Jones, and Mary Kay (White) Stilwell. Taken about June 1895. |
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| This picture seems to have been taken at the same time as the one above it. Again, the infant is John Stilwell Jones. The adults are Mary Kay (White) Stilwell, Mary Elva (Stilwell) Jones, and John Roberts Jones. Taken about June 1895. |
John Stilwell Jones was born on 30 May in Hankinson, Richland Co., North Dakota. Some sources show his birth year as 1894 and others as 1895. His Social Security records say 1895, so that is the date I have preferred until additional info turns up. He was the first child of John Roberts Jones by his second wife, Mary Elva Stilwell.
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| John Stilwell Jones, age about 8 months |
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| John Stilwell Jones |
John S., as he was known, attended the local schools in Hankinson, North Dakota. John S.'s sister, Marycarol Jones (who admitted to not liking John S. very much, so her stories should perhaps be taken with a grain of salt) stated that he was the "first born and his mother's favorite. Their father traveled a lot and their mother would keep a tally of all the children's naughtiness while he was gone and present the list to him when he returned home. He would march all the children out to the woodshed and whip them. He was a very large man and so he knew how. John's younger brother Harold used to beg his father not to whip John, saying he'd take John's punishment as well as his own because it wouldn't hurt him so much."
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| John Stilwell Jones, probably about 5 or 6 years old |
On 7 October 1914, John S. got a postcard from his uncle, Lucien W. Stilwell. It read, "Card recd. I never had any word that you had been sick. What was the matter? I hope you are strong again. Eat a few of Aunt Blanche's rolls, & good things & you'll come out all right. A card from Harold says he was suffering from some country spin [?]. I did not know but it was a forced sprint [?] by the rushers. He did well to win the scholarship. All well here. Weather mostly fine and warm. [unreadable word; possibly signature]"
On 26 November 1914 from Munn's Farm, Ripon, Wisconsin, John Stilwell Jones wrote a letter to his mother, Mary Elva (Stilwell) Jones. The letter was written on stationary that reads "Warren Stilwell, 2420 Emerson Ave., So., Minneapolis, Minn." and the envelope was addressed to Mrs. John R. Jones, Hankinson, No. Dak.; return address: John S. Jones, Box #731, Ripon, Wisc.; postmarked: Ripon, Wis Nov 27 4 pm 1914. A note on the envelope from Marycarol Jones: "Only one I found & I did not read it. Was among Hal’'s letters from Mother. M.J."
The letter reads as follows:
"Munn’s Farm/ RFD Box #731/ Ripon, Wisc. Thurs., Nov., 26, ‘14/ Thanksgiving" ‘14 From her son, John S. Jones
To My Dear Mother,
Out to Uncle Frank’s 4 Thanksgiving. Commons closed so no meals served there since last nite. Ate supper at Gallagher’s here. Krebs returned the day before yesterday A.M. to visit his folks. He explained how awful the T.B. is. Three have died at Stephen’s Point during the little time he has been there & nos. turned away pronounced cured have but returned in a short time, in a worst state & condition than when they first left. Aunt Annie surely has reason to be worried & feel anxious over Emily’s condition.
Krebs however looks fine & has indeed much to be thankful 4. He weighs a hundred & 40 #s now, having gained about 24 #s since leaving & four #s in the last two weeks. He says that they take the patients that die out at night so the others won’t no [sic] about it & worry themselves over it or become anxious or sick. They had just taken one out the other night & he didn’t no [sic] about it himself until a fellow asked him about it on the way home. He’s just home 4 his Thanksgiving vacation, however. He’s been doing fine there, & has made money & pretty well off 4 the last few wks. or so. Rules are strict & patients are required to have lots of fresh air & good food & plenty of sleep. Most vegetation & water [unreadable word] are given.
He will stay till spring now at least if not later. He wants to be sure & absolutely certain that he is in a well & cured condition & state of health before leaving the institution. Says sleeping out side under paper blankets is awesome sport tho rather chilly. Well enuf [sic] of this 4 now.
We surely have a lot to be thankful 4. Me well early and now back in school when as you say poor Mrs. Studinicke [?] & Frank L. are just recuperating, Donald is weak & rundown & Mrs. Jenke, poor woman never able to again enjoy a real Thanksgiving, at least on this earth. Now Father cheer up. You’ve got something to live 4 yet, if you want to enjoy your coming life brace up & take a new hold on things, grasp living with a firmer hold. If anybody should accuse you of being weak you would indignantly protest to the opposite. If you want to see us make a[unreadable word] pickup and as Lyle says, your strong physically & like him should not look at the past but ahead into the future, bright with promise & the prospects & rewards it yet extends to and holds in store 4 you.
Love to all the little kids. They can be thankful first & above all 4 a Christian home, a home in which Christ is upheld as a true ordeal, a noble Christian mother, an industrious, sobre [sic] father, who is indeed deeply interested in their future welfare and means [?] in life and that we are not like the poor European nations but are a hundred times more fortunate & prosperous, even at present than they can as a whole hope to be 4 years to come & perhaps never again; deplorable as it is it is nevertheless sadly and terribly true.
Love to all relatives & friends. As we sat down to the bounteous repast which Aunt Blanche with loving hands & domestic thot [sic] had prepared could see you all gathered around the hardwood & festive board or rather table at home. Uncle Charley & Cousin Belle side by each, Edith anxious & housewifely, Mary little Puritan, sobrely [sic] insolent & forgetful of the ever necessary required and essential article [unreadable word] the water and Daniel anxious 4 crackers & milk. Mother pouring the tea & father in his graceful manners severing from the turkey his heavy lower limb in just the rite [sic] joint & place, while Anna supplies you all with provender & Spots anxiously licks his chops & [unreadable word] the saliva which threatens to drown & choke him as he thinks of the delicious yet well knawed bones, tho nevertheless & nonetheless welcome & acceptable to him, of which he is soon to participate & partake in their devouring & destruction, while the little yellow delight of M.C’s lifemater & parent, of the young protégé & offspring; so that as a result even little yellow joy-bunch had something to be thankful 4 upon this, his Thanksgiving day.
Beautiful sunshine, warmth and gladness, songs of birds; what could possibly be finer or more ideal 4 a model Thanksgiving or more indicative of the power & goodness & gracious of the great all Father above and what could or should possibly be more productive or inviting of our true & heartfelt thanks & gratitude on this day of all days of the year, the Thanksgiving of Thursday, November 26th, 1914. With love & the spirit of Thanksgiving & blessing you each, one and all, I am, Your son, nephew, & brother, John Stilwell."
After leaving Ripon College, John S. apparently worked at his father's lumber business for awhile. But on 9 May 1917, when he was 21 years old, John enlisted in the Navy at Minneapolis, Minnesota. His military papers describe him as having blue eyes, light brown hair, and a "ruddy" complexion. He was 6 feet tall and weighed 164 pounds.
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| John Stilwell Jones, age about 21, after joining the Navy |
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| John S. Jones with Navy buddies |
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| John S. Jones standing at back of photo. Others in photo are not identified. |
On 8 April 1928, John Stilwell Jones married Leita Irene Perry in Chicago. Their marriage record reads: "This Certifies That John S. Jones of Chicago, Illinois and Leita I. Perry of Chicago, Illinois were by me united in the bonds of Holy Matrimony According to the ordinance of God and the laws of the State of Illinois On the eighth day of April In the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight At Chicago, Illinois. Walter [unreadable signature], Minister of the Gospel. Witnessed by Mrs. R.G. Penrose, Ray G. Penrose, Herbert H. Boehning"
Leita Perry was the daughter of Louis Irving Perry and his wife, Elizabeth Rachel Bowser. She was born 17 November 1897 in Hayden, Ohio.
On 12 August 1929, John and Leita were living at 5230 S. Spaulding Ave., in Chicago, when their only child, Dolores Shirley Jones, was born at Auburn Park Hospital, Chicago.
The 1930 census lists John, Leita, and Dolores on S. Spaulding Ave., Chicago. They had two railroad workers who were roomers in their home. John was shown as 34 years old and working as a "tracer" in "electrical manufacturing." Leita was 31 and not employed. Years ago, Leita told me that she had taken in boarders while she and John were married. She also claimed that John often brought home 'bums' that he allowed to live with them until Leita kicked them out.
By 1938 when John's father, John R., died, John and Leita were living in Fox Lake, Illinois. The 1940 census shows the family living on Grand St. in Fox Lake. John was working as a salesman; Leita was a manager in a store.
Sometime around 1941, Leita and John S. were divorced. Dolores told me that she was about 12 years old when they divorced. I have not been able to find divorce records for them, but in April 1942, John S. registered for the draft in Hankinson, North Dakota. He listed Hankinson as his residence and his mother, Mary E. Jones, as the person who would know where to find him. He indicated that he was working for his brother, Harold. In 1942, Leita is found in the city directory for Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and is listed as the widow of John S. Leita and Dolores continued to live in Florida until after Dolores graduated from high school in 1947.
As far as I am aware, John S. did not stay in touch with his daughter, Dolores, very well. Because of that, my information on John S. after he and Leita divorced is somewhat sketchy.
He apparently remarried. His obituary and death certificate both list his widow as Mary Madden Jones. I have not found any information on her, though I have tried. His obituary states that he lived in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania for 30 years before his death. He was living in Wilkes-Barre when his mother died in 1955. His address on his death certificate is shown as 339 S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre.
On 23 June 1972, Hurricane Agnes caused catastrophic flooding in Wilkes-Barre. A family story claimed that John S. Jones died in the flood. However, his death certificate and obituary indicate otherwise. I did find a record from Christ Reformed Church in Lehigh, Pennsylvania, that states that his funeral was handled by the American Red Cross and that he died 'following the flood in Wilkes-Barre.'
His death certificate states that he died 11 July 1972 of atherosclerotic cardio-vascular disease. He was buried 13 July 1972 in Maple Hill Cemetery, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania.
Perhaps the stress of the flood brought on a heart attack. At this point, there is no one left to ask.
His obituary, from an unnamed newspaper clipping without a date, follows:
"John S. Jones, 78, of 339 S. Main St., City, died yesterday afternoon at his home after an illness.
A native of North Dakota, Mr. Jones, born May 30, 1894, a son of the late Daniel and Mary Jones. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War I. Mr. Jones resided in Wilkes-Barre the past 30 years. Prior to retiring he was employed as a salesman by the Costerman Garoiene Company, City.
Surviving are his wife, the former Mary Madden, and a brother, Harold Jones of North Dakota.
Private services will be held at the Chapel of Maple Hill Cemetery, Hanover Township at the convenience of the family. Rev. Edward A. Foster, pastor of the Christ Reformed Church, Bethlehem, will officiate. Interment will be in Maple Hill Cemetery. Arrangements by the Knifton Funeral Home, 465 S. Main St., City."
I would love to find more information on John Stilwell Jones and his wife, Mary Madden.
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