My Genealogy Hound

FRANK M. JONES, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 15; P. O. Towanda; one of the old settlers of McLean Co. He is a brother of Nelson Jones, whose sketch also appears in this work. F. M. Jones was born in Clark Co., Ohio, March 8, 1833. He is the youngest son of Abram R. Jones, Sr., who was born Oct. 17, 1791, in the State of New York, of Welsh descent; he emigrated to Ohio in 1808, and, during the war of 1812, was engaged in hauling provisions to the army. Upon the 13th of May, 1813, he was united in marriage with Matilda Noel. She was born in Kentucky July 29, 1795, and emigrated to Maryland and from there to the territory of Ohio in 1802. They came to this county in 1856, where Mr. Jones died Feb. 11, 1865. Mrs. Jones is now living in Towanda, in the 84th year of her age, in possession of all her faculties, and daily attends to the light duties of housekeeping, and is a regular attendant of the Methodist Church, of which she has been a member for the past seventy years. Upon her 83d birthday, a family reunion was held at the residence of her son, F. M. Jones, at which there were about one hundred present, most of whom were her direct descendants, of whom were present six of her seven living children, seventeen grandchildren, and one of thirteen great-grandchildren. The subject of this sketch came to this township in 1851, and, the following year, purchased eighty-five acres and entered one hundred and sixty acres with land warrants, and engaged in farming and stock-raising, which business he has since successfully followed. He feeds yearly some two hundred and fifty cattle, one hundred hogs, some horses and sheep, a part of the cattle being blooded short horns. He owns upward of three hundred acres of land and rents five hundred acres, which he makes use of for grazing, hay and corn. In 1866, Mr. Jones contracted to break one thousand acres of prairie for his brother, A. R. Jones, and went to Texas, where he purchased one hundred and sixty-five head of steers, which he brought up and made use of, fitting up thirteen ox-teams of five yoke in each team, supplying his own herders, blacksmith and cook, which he kept upon the ground. His marriage with Ann M. Hampleman was celebrated Jan. 28, 1858. She was born in Clark Co., Ohio, Oct. 18, 1839. They were the parents of seven children, of whom five are now living, viz., Price M., Edwin E., Maurice E., Cyrus G. and Stella.