John Elliott JONES was born 18 September 1847 in Zanesville, Ohio to Benjamin JONES and Ann Bogswell MELSON. The Bogswell in Ann's name may be a mistake and possibly should be Boswell or Bosswell, since there seems to be no such name as Bogswell. According to his granddaughter, Harriet HOPKIRK, John E. JONES was 5' 3" tall and of thin build. John Elliot Jones and Laura Jane Higgins were married on 23 January 1877 and were buried at the Spring Creek Cemetery, just west of Ruskin, Nebraska.
Laura Jane HIGGINS was the daughter of Robert HIGGINS. Laura had a twin brother named James T. HIGGINS. According to Laura's granddaughter , Harriet HOPKIRK, Laura HIGGINS was of thin build and 5' 4" tall.
In 1879 the family moved from Iowa to Nebraska in a covered wagon. In the early years they lived in a dugout sod house in the Spring Creek region of Nuckolls County. John E. JONES was a farmer.
The 1880 census confirms what we had been told by Iva M. Jones, the family consisted of John E. Jones, age 32, a farmer, born in Ohio, father born in Delaware and mother born in Virginia; Laura J. , his wife, age 26, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio and mother born in Ohio; Iva M. Jones, age 2, born in Iowa, father born in Ohio, mother born in Ohio. The census place was Spring Creek, Nucholls County, Nebraska, page 235B. This family was household #10 on the census completed on June 12th and 14th, 1880. Laura Jane's brothers James T. Higgins and Clarence E. Higgins are located on the same census page, at households # 14 and 18 respectively.
From the June 4, 1885 Nebraska census we find John, 36, a farmer,
Laura, 30, Iva 7, Edna 4 and Alice 1. Also living with them is Laura's
sister Emma, 26, and her husband David Stephey, 30, teaching school and
their young daughter born in May 1885 listed as "Babe".
On 25 April 1889 John E. Jones became the Postmaster for Ruskin,
Nebraska. His son-in-law Frank Hopkirk and his grtandson Maurice
Hopkirk would also become the Postmaster of Ruskin, Nebraska. John's
daughter Iva Jones would marry Frank HOPKIRK in 1902. Iva would
eventually own the building in which the Post Office was located. She
received $10 a month rent from the Federal Government. Sometime
in the 1960's the roof started leaking and the cost to repair it was
going to be about $600.00. So, Iva gifted the building to the
government.
From the June 15, 1900 census we find them in Spring Creek,
Nuckolls County, Nebraska, John is age 52, born in Ohio in Sept. 1848,
Laura is 45, born in Ohio in Aug 1855, with Ivy M Jones, age 22, born
in Ohio in Jan 1878, Edna C Jones, age 19 born in Nebraska May 1881,
and Alice V. Jones age 16, born in Nebraska in Aug 1883. On the same
page is Iva Jones' future husband Frank Hopkirk. John Jones' father was
born in Pennsylvania and his mother in Deleware. (The parents fudged a
little on their ages, or maybe did not remember)
John and Laura had the following children:
Iva M. JONES, born 23 January 1878 in Mt. Ayr, Ringgold, Iowa.
Edna Clare JONES, born 19 May 1881, Nora, Nuckolls, Nebraska.
Alice Viola JONES, born 7 August 1883, Nora, Nuckolls, Nebraska.
Leslie C. JONES. born 5 December 1889 and he passed away on 6 August 1890.
Laura Higgins Jones passed away on 31 Jaunary 1913 in Ruskin, Nebraska
John Elliott Jones passed away on 11 September 1914 in Ruskin, Nebraska
View John Elloitt Jones obituary, in .pdf format
View a photo of the whole family, John E Jones, Laura Higgins Jones, and their 3 daughters.
Below is a photo of Laura Jane Higgins when she was younger.
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This page was last updated on 27 February 2021