j520 Obit of James N Jones - Grady County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Sandi Carter SandKatC@aol.com ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. ====================================================================== The Verden News January 11, 1929 Drawing the curtain upon the colorful life of a soldier, frontier officer and pioneer ranchman, James N. "Uncle Jimmie" Jones, age 81, succumbed to pneumonia and influenza at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Bob Dempsey, east of Verden, Saturday night. Scottish Rite services were to be conducted at high noon, Tuesday, at the Methodist church, under the direction of the Blue lodge, but owing to some of the main members of this order being unable to attend, services were conducted by Rev. W. T. Reynolds of Oklahoma City, and burial made in the Verden Cemetery. Special music being rendered, Mrs. E. W. Peters sang, "Face to Face With My Saviour," and the Misses Reva Linn, Dorothy Reid, Daisy Peters, Thelma Osborne, Mildred West and Lola Robinson acted as flower girls. The floral offerings were many and beautiful. Mr. Jones had been in ill health for several years. His wife preceded him in death in November, 1927. Ten children survive him, James E. Jones, Chickasha; Mrs. Mamie Melton, Mrs. Frank Love, W. P. Jones, Mrs. Bud Campbell, Mrs. Walter Jones, all of Oklahoma City; Mrs. Ralph Courtney and Miss Ada Bell Jones of Anadarko; Mrs. Bob Dempsey, Verden; Duke Jones, Chicago. Mr. Jones had been a resident of Oklahoma since 1868. He was a confederate veteran and a 32nd degree Mason. He was the son of William P. Jones, who was born in Illinois. W. P. Jones moved to Kentucky in his young manhood and there met Miss Duke, who subsequently became his wife and the mother of James N. Jones. The latter, from the date of his birth, November 28, 1847, up to the breaking point of the Civil war, lived in Kentucky and led a quiet pastoral life on his father's farm. The war, for him, was but the commencement of a life of adventure and hardship. He cast his lot with the Confederate side and enlisted in General Morgan's famous brigade and was with that commander on his memorable raid through the north, which has been termed one of the most daring exploits of the war. After peace had been declared, Mr. Jones visited his father's relatives in Illinois, but soon returned to the south, going overland to Sherman, Texas. He found employment in the Sheets and company at Sherman as a clerk until the fall of 1868, when, finding life too droll for him, he went to Pauls Valley and Fort Sill, Indian Territory, and was soon after appointed agent for the distribution of beef to the Indians by the government. He held this position for two yrs., performing his duties faithfully in this capacity and becoming well acquainted with the Indians and their methods. He was next given charge of the supplies from Texas to the posts of the Indian Territory. These occupations gave him a wide knowledge of the country and of the operations of the lawless element, which infested Oklahoma in those days. That knowledge, coupled with his famous courage, secured him the appointment as chief of the Indian police station of Fort Arbuckle. He held that position for five years and it may be well surmised that it was no sinecure patroling the country under his jurisdiction and dealing with the most desperate characters of the frontier. An incident of his career at this time, which nearly resulted in serious difficulty for him, has been related by Mr. Jones. He had captured two notorious horse thieves, and was holding them at Pauls Valley when he was approached by two men, who claimed to be sheriffs from the state of Texas. They presented him papers authorizing them to take charge of the two prisoners and return them to the Lone Star state, where they were wanted for a similar offense. The papers appearing authentic, Mr. Jones delivered his prisoners. They were taken by a mob and hanged. It developed that the papers shown Mr. Jones were forged. Mr. Jones was arrested by federal authorities and detained at Fort Smith, Ark., for ten months. The fact that he had taken a receipt from the pseudo sheriffs was all that saved him from severe punishment. Notwithstanding that experience, he was employed by the government to act as scout for General McKinney's command in the Indian Territory and during the Indian outbreak from 1873 to 1877 was detailed to scout [the] frontier and carry important dispatches for the army. After the Indians were subdued and returned to the reservation, he was again appointed distributing agent for the year 1886, when he was married to a daughter of the Kiowa tribe of Indians. He then forsook his life of adventure and sought the more peaceful persuits of farming and stock raising. His wife brought him a handsome dowry as well as full citizenship in her tribe and, while his life lacked the spice of danger and excitement, he was frank to confess that he enjoyed that cultivation of his vast acres of rich lands and the care of 25,000 acres of pastures along with the large herds of horses and cattle, which roamed at will over its hills and valleys. His children, his home and his ranch absorbed all of his attention and he had no inclination to return to the pursuits which had subjected him to hardships and perils for 20 years of his life. (28 NOV 1847 - 5 JUN 1929) Submitted by Sandi Carter Niece of Thelma Osborne