Biography - Theophilus Jones
THEOPHILUS JONES, the only child of James and Mary Jones, was born in Grant
county, Wisconsin, July 3d, 1840. His father, James Jones, was a native of
Bourbon county, Kentucky. His parents were of Welsh descent, and raised a
large family of children. Mrs. Jones' parents, James and Elizabeth Glass,
were old and well known pioneers of St. Clair county, Illinois. Soon after
their marriage, the parents of Theophilus Jones removed to Grant county,
Wisconsin. Mrs. Jones subsequently returned to St. Clair county, where she
was again married; and then commenced for the young Theophilus a series of
hardships, at the hands of his stepfather, wich fall to the lot of but few
boys. His own father (James Jones) is now living in Cass county, Nebraska.
The subject of this sketch received his early education in the schools of
St. Clair county, though he is chiefly indebted to the excellent instruction
of his kind and devoted mother, around whom the dearest recollections of his
early life cluster. The early lessons of right and duty instilled by her
into his youthful mind, have never been forgotten, and it is more to those
principles than to any other cause that he now owes his honorable manhood.
His mother's death, in the spring of 1850, occurring when he was but ten
years of age, he was thenceforth thrown upon his own resources, without
money and with but few friends. The tyranny exercised over him by his
step-father after his mother's decease, made home no longer inviting. From
St. Clair county he went to Adams county, where he remained about three
years, working ona farm during the summer and attending school in the winter
months. He subsequently attended Shurtleff College, Upper Alton, for a short
term. After that he lived at times in St. Joseph, Missouri, and in Cass
county, Nebraska. He returned to Illinois in the fall of 1857, and settled
in Greene county; and in the spring of 1859, commenced teaching at the same
school he had attended the winter before. He continued teaching principally
until the spring of 1871, though during the war he had spent a short time as
one of the sutlers of the army of the Cumberland.
On the 16th of February, 1865, Mr. Jones was married to Miss Mida L. King,
daughter of Captain Lucien and Amira King, of this county. Soon after their
marriage, they removed to Franklin county, Kansas, and during his residence
there Mr. Jones was brought forward by the Democrats of Franklin county as
their candidate for representative in the legislature. He ran considerably
ahead of his ticket, and was beaten by only a few votes. Mr. Jones did not
remain in Kansas long, but soon returned to Greene county. He is a deep
thinker and logical reasoner on the political and other topics of the day;
is more liberal in his views than many of his co-adjutors, and belongs to
that class of men who, at no distant day, are destined to become leaders of
their party.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones have had one child – Lucien K. Jones – who was born June
27th, 1870. They are now residing in Kane, where Mr. Jones is engaged in
dealing in stock and grain, and, as a square-dealing and honorable man, he
commands the esteem and respect of those who have the pleasure of his
acquaintance.
Extracted 07 Sep 2018 by Norma Hass from Atlas Map of Greene County Illinois, 1873, page 50.
