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Below is a family biography included in Book of Biographies: Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens, Cortland County, New York published by Biographical Publishing Company in 1898.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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GEORGE F. JONES one of the prominent residents of Homer, and a leading merchant of the village, engaged in dealing in coal, is a son of Amanda (Hall) Jones, and was born April 14, 1854, at Scott, this county. The name is of Welsh origin.

His great-grandfather, Charles Jones, was born in Eastern New York, and was for a time engaged in farming in the Onondaga Valley, but later came to Scott, Cortland County, where he farmed for the remainder of his life. He was a Democrat in politics. His family consisted of three children, all of whom were boys.

The father of our subject received a common school education. After leaving school he was engaged in tilling the soil until 1874, in Cortland County; at the end of this time he had acquired a sufficient competency to enable him to lead a retired life if he so chose, and accordingly he gave up the work of the farm, and now spends his time in visiting among his children. The family record is as follows: Charles; Mary, who married R. Terrel; Walter; Ella, the wife of David Rhodes; George F.; Mary and Nellie, twins, both now deceased; Minnie died June 5, 1886; and Fred.

George F. Jones spent the years following the completion of his common school education in looking about the country, while engaged in various pursuits. For the first two years he was employed as a clerk in a general store at Homer, after which he opened a mercantile establishment at Scott, which he sold at the expiration of two years. After selling out his business at Scott, he came to Cortland, where he remained but six months, when he secured a position in Toledo, Ohio, as a clerk in a store; this situation he was able to keep for only four months, when he was forced to resign on account of poor health. He went to Iowa, where he clerked in a store for two years, when he determined to try his fortunes in the states still farther west, and engaged in farming in North Dakota. One year of this work disgusted him with farming in the West, and he located at Grand View, South Dakota, in the mercantile business, which he continued for three years; not being entirely satisfied with the locality, he tried Mitchell, South Dakota, and for three more years clerked in a store at that place. At the end of that time, his thoughts reverted strongly to the home of his youth, and he set his face towards the Empire State. Upon arriving at the end of his journey, he embarked in the grocery business at Homer, and continued to be thus engaged for a year and a half, when he sold out and entered the coal trade. His coal office was opened in 1891, and he has every reason to be pleased with the custom he has received; his business has increased under his judicious management until it brings him quite a neat income.

On the twenty-second of May, 1877, Mr. Jones was joined in wedlock with Miss Mary Eggleston, a daughter of George Eggleston; they have four children: Maud E.; Charles F.; Ralph E.; and Ward, who is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Jones are influential members of the Congregational Church, and their aid is ever freely enlisted in any work that furthers the aims of that organization. George F. Jones has always been identified with the Republican party, and is recognized as one of the leaders in local politics. He has been the constable of Homer since 1891, having been elected with scarcely any opposition at every succeeding election. While in the West he was deputy sheriff and also sheriff of Douglas County, North Dakota, and was president of the board of education at Grand View, South Dakota; he also filled the office of deputy treasurer of the latter place for one year. Socially, he is a member of Homer Lodge, No. 99, I. O. O. F.

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This family biography is one of numerous biographies included in Book of Biographies: Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens, Cortland County, New York published in 1898. 

View additional Cortland County, New York family biographies here: Cortland County, New York Biographies

View a map of 1897 Cortland County, New York here: Cortland County, New York Map

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