More Postcards to John S. Jones - October 1913

These four postcards were sent to John S. Jones in October 1913 while he was a student at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin.

The first one is dated 7 October 1913 and postmarked 8 October 1913 from Ripon, Wisconsin.  It is addressed to Mr. J. S. Jones, West College, Ripon, Wis.

The message reads:  "Oct. 7, 1913     Dear Mr. Jones, --  The business meeting for Wed. night is all on and we would like you to come if you can.  The meeting will begin at 7:30 in the small parlor of the church.  We would like you to bring along anyone you may run across who has some C.E. enthusiasm and experience.  We hope to get things started "going."!  Very sincerely C. Hargrave (Pres. C.E.)   Will you kindly extend this invitation to Mr. Kolberg and Mr. Luecke!"

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The next postcard is postmarked Oct 15, 1913 from Bismarck, North Dakota.  While it is signed only with the initials "G.M.H.", the return address is once again 1002 Ave. C., so I believe this is another postcard from "Genevieve."  The intitals also lend some credence to my guess that Genevieve's last name is Hoffmann.

The card is addressed:  Mr. John S. Jones, Ripon, Wis.   Ripon College.

The postcard's message reads:  "Hello there.  Just a line to let you know that I'm still a 'livin'.  Recd your papers and certainly enjoyed them.  They sure do give the "Freshie" their share in the paper.  Don't they.  How's college?  I'm in a hurry so please excuse.  Would ge glad to hear from you soon.  G.M.H."




I am fairly convinced that 1002 Ave. C is in Bismarck, North Dakota.  There is indeed such an address in Bismarck:  both an East and West.

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The third postcard is postmarked Ripon, Wisconsin on Oct. 27, 1913.  It is addressed to Mr. j. S. Jones, West Building, College, Ripon, Wis.

The postcard's message reads:  "G.H. Bush, D.D.S., Ripon, Wis.   Oct 27, 1913    Mr. Jones, I would like to have you go to my house #622 Ransom St. (Next to Prof Tritors (I can't really make out the name) and wash the windows and storm sash.  Commence with the upper ones and those with hangers.   (I have to have a carpenter for them) then the rest and put them up.  Call at the office first if convenient.  yours G.H. Bush"

On the 1910 census for Ripon, Wisconsin, I found a dentist named George H. Bush and his wife, Eva Bush, living on Ransom St. in Ripon.  He was 49 in 1910.  Apparently John S. was doing some odd jobs for him.  I found the dentist, George H. Bush, in the 1913 Ripon City Directory.  His office was at 105 Watson and his home was at 622 Ransom.

I found George Bush and his wife, Eva (Shaw) Bush buried in Hillside Cemetery, Ripon, Wisconsin.  George died in 1936.

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The fourth postcard from October 1913 is postmarked Oct. 30, 1913 in Ripon and is a notice of a delivery for John S.  It is addressed to J. S. Jones Jr, Smith Hall, Ripon and states that there are two boxes waiting for him that were delivered 10/29 to the Ripon Station on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway.

Postcard: Genevieve (Last Name Unknown) to John S. Jones, Sept. 14, 1914

Here is another postcard to John S. Jones while he was at college in Ripon, Wisconsin.  It is from Genevieve, but she doesn't give her last name.

The card is addressed to John S. Jones, Ripon, Wis.  Box 800.  There is a return address of 1002 Ave. C.  From the front of the card, I wonder if this is in Bismarck, North Dakota.

The message is:  "Dear John: - Saw by the paper you were in Ripon again.  Suppose you'll soon be hard at work.  It feels like winter was not far off out here to-day.  I am nearly frozen up.  Have been looking for a letter, but know you must have been busy getting ready for school.  I feel simply terribly lonesome to-day.  How are you   write me soon  Genevieve"

A quick search shows me a Genevieve Hoffmann born 1895 and living in Hankinson, North Dakota in 1910.  She would have been the same age as John S. and from the same town, so she is a possibility.

Perhaps other information will surface to help me identify Genevieve.

Postcard: Margaret (Jones) Hofmann to John S. Jones, Oct. 7, 1913

What a busy and crazy summer and fall this has been.  I hope that things have settled enough that I can start posting regularly again.  I'm eager to get back to my research and also eager to start sharing information with other researchers again. 

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Today I am sharing a postcard in my possession that was sent by Margaret (Jones) Hofmann to her brother, John S. Jones, dated 7 October 1913.  The postcard is addressed to:  Mr. John S. Jones, Ripon, Wisconsin  c/o Ripon College.

Here is the transcription of the message:  "This is our fifth day out.  The sea has been calm.  The steamship company has made nothing on me in way of meals.  We reach Honolulu to-morrow night, have a day there, then start on our long sail to Japan.  from Margaret." 

On 1 October 1913, Margaret Jones sailed from the U.S. to be a missionary in China.  She was 25 years old and still single.  This postcard indicates that she sailed on the S.S. Mongolia.

Her brother, John S. Jones, was a student at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin from Fall 1913 to sometime in 1915.

Deborah Ann Jenners, 1834-1917

Deborah Ann Jenners was born in Lafayette, Indiana on 26 January 1834.  Her parents were David Jenners and Maria (Simpson) Jenners. 

She was mentioned in letter from her Aunt Sarah Bradfield to her Aunt Mary Braden dated 3 October 1841.  Sarah wrote that, "Debby took a chill, had a hard fit... the Dr gave her drops to stop the chill & I think she will have no more."

Deborah is found on the 1850 census in the household of her parents in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana.  She was 16 years old and had attended school that year.

In 1860, she is listed in the same place with her parents and is age 26.

In August 1876, Deborah's father, David Jenners, made his will.  In it, he names her as his daughter, Deborah Jenners.  She was not to inherit anything from his estate unless her sister, Sarah Y. Jenners, died.

In 1881, her father, David, died in Lafayette, Indiana.  In 1899, her mother, Maria, died in Lafayette, Indiana.

Sometime in the mid-1870s, Deborah seems to have moved to California.  I have not found her on censuses for 1870 or 1880.  However, Deborah starts appearing in city directories for Los Angeles, California by 1888.  She was working as a French teacher.  I found entries for her in Los Angeles city directories for 1888, 1890, 1895, 1904 and 1907.  She was single.  On these documents she has started using the name "Anne D. Jenners."

On the 1900 census for Los Angeles, California, she was listed as "Ann D. Jenners, head, w, f, born Jan. 1838, 62 years old, single, born Indiana, parents born Virginia, French Teacher."

On the 1910 census, she is found on Second Street in Los Angeles, and is listed as "Anne Jenners, head, fw, 72, single, born Indiana, parents born Virginia, a teacher, working at home on own account."  No one else lived with her.

Deborah Ann Jenners died in Los Angeles, California on 13 January 1917.  She was 82 years old.

An announcement of her death appeared in what was apparently a Lafayette, Indiana newspaper (no newspaper noted on the copy of the clipping I saw):  "MISS DEBORAH A. JENNERS.  Announcement was made here recently of the death of Miss Deborah Ann Jenners which occurred January 13 at Los Angeles, Cal.  Miss Jenners was the daughter of the late David and Marie Jenners and was born in this city January 26, 1834.  She went to California about forty years ago and has resided there since that time.  Miss Jenners is survived by a brother and sister, Martin P. Jenners and Mrs. Clara Sweetser, both of this city."  Handwritten on clipping "1917."



Deborah was buried in  Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.  This very faded photo is identified as of her original tombstone: