Henry C. Jones, Marion City Commissioner and Postmaster, was born November 3, 1853 near Creal Springs in Williamson County, Illinois to John S. and Sarah F. (Powers) Jones. He secured such education as farm boys generally get in the district schools and followed the plow until 25 years ago.
Henry’s marriage took place while he was living on the farm, February 13, 1871. His wife was Miss Mary J. Bower, daughter of William J. and Elizabeth J. (McInturff) Bower, who farmed near Crab Orchard. Mary J. Bower was born in Christian County, Kentucky on January 4, 1852.
According to the 1905 Souvenir History of the county, “In 1882, he moved into Creal Springs and in 1888 was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace, serving one term.” I suspect these dates are off a bit, because in the 1880 federal census Henry and Mary were living in Crab Orchard Precinct farming. Henry was 25 and Mary 28. They had two daughters, Sarah, age 6 and born in 1873 or 1874 and Amanda, aged 4, born in 1875 or 1876.
Henry’s mother, whose maiden name was Sarah F. Powers, died in 1891 at the age of 60.
In 1892, he came to Marion, was elected Williamson County Circuit Clerk in 1896 and was re-elected in 1900 serving two full terms of eight years from 1896 to 1904.
When the 1900 census was taken on June 8th, the couple was living at 1019 W. Main Street in Marion in a home that they owned, but was mortgaged. Henry was 47 and working as County Clerk. His wife, Mary J. was 48 and claimed to have had 4 children, all of whom were still living. Daughters, Sarah and Amanda, had married and moved out but two children still remained in the home. Thomas Frank Jones, aged 19, was born in November of 1880 and Madeline, called Mina, was 15 and born in December of 1884. The couple housed a boarder in the home, 28 year old, Saddie Baker.
On the 1st of December, 1900, he received his first appointment as postmaster of Marion and after one term of four years received a second appointment, without opposition, on the 18th of December 1904. In 1904, the Post Office Department allowed $580 towards the expense of running the office, besides $60.00 for lights and fuel, and $25 a month for rent. The salary of Mr. Jones was $1,900. The total amount of daily mail in that year was about 100 pounds, requiring the labor of three clerks besides Mr. Jones, the postmaster, to handle it. The post office was then located at 209 W. Main Street.
Henry appears to have continued serving as Marion postmaster until 1913.
It was noted in the 1905 Souvenir History that the family members attended the First Baptist Church and that Henry belonged to the Williamson Lodge, No. 392, I.O.O.F.
In the 1910 census, Henry 56 and Mary 58 were still living in their home at 1019 W. Main which they then owned free of mortgage. Henry was working as postmaster in Marion. Mary’s widowed mother, Elizabeth Bower, aged 84, was living with the couple.
Henry Jones served as city commissioner of Marion during two 2 year terms, once in 1917-1919 under Mayor Earl B. Jackson and then again in 1919-1921 under Mayor Elijah Lewis.
By the 1920 census, the couple now in their latter sixties were still in their home on West Main. Their daughter, Amanda, who was now 42 and widowed, was living in the home with them and Amanda listed her occupation as “helping mother.” The family hosted a married couple who were boarding in the house, John and Elizabeth Davis. John was a house carpenter.
When the 1930 census was taken at the start of the depression, the Joneses had sold their Marion home and purchased a home in West Frankfort, Illinois at 307 S. Monroe Street which they owned free of mortgage and valued at $1,500. Henry was then 76 and retired and Mary was 78. They supplemented their income by renting rooms to Olive Marty, a 37 year old, divorced, registered nurse and her 12 year old daughter, Marguerite Marty for $23 per month. It would appear that the retired couple moved to West Frankfort to be near their daughter Madeline and her family.
Henry’s wife, Mary, died in West Frankfort at the age of 83 on July 7, 1935, leaving Henry a widower. She was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Marion.
In the 1940 census, it became clear that 86 year old Henry had sold his home on Monroe Street after his wife’s death and moved into the home of his married daughter, Madeline, who lived at 802 E. Poplar St. Madeline had married Dr. B.H. Webb, M.D. around 1909. In this census, Madeline and her husband had two children in the home. Daughter, Maurine, aged 31, was a high school teacher and son, Dan J., was 18 and in his last year of high school.
Henry Jones passed away in West Frankfort on January 28, 1949 at 94. He was buried next to his wife, Mary, in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Notes on the children:
Sarah Jones Martin was born in 1874 or 1875. She married Walter N. Martin and lived in Marion. In the 1910 census, Walter was listed as a lumberman. The couple was living at 922 W. Main St. in Marion and they had three children; Ira 17, Lourina 16 and Leo Martin, 13.
Amanda Jones Lane was born in 1875 or 1876 and married H.W. Lane who had died by the 1920 census. Amanda died on March 4, 1968.
Thomas Frank Jones was born in November 1880. In his younger years, he worked under his father, the postmaster, as a general delivery clerk at the post office in Marion. He died March 9, 1930 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.
Madeline “Mina” Jones Webb was born December 15, 1884. She married Dr. Byford Hodgen Webb, M.D. (1884-1959) about 1907. In the 1940 census, the couple was living in a home at 802 E. Poplar St. in West Frankfort which they valued then at $15,000. They appear to have had three children; daughter Maurine, born about 1909; son, Byford L., born about 1912, and son Donny G. Webb, born about 1922. Madeline passed away on January 25, 1984 at age 99 and was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.
(1905 Souvenir History of Williamson County; Federal Census Records; Findagrave.com; Marion City Cemetery Records; Illinois Death Records; compiled by Sam Lattuca on July 13, 2014)