Grandchildren of William Stephens Jones,
Bartlesville, Ok. Great grandchildren of William Beaver Jones, born in
Georgia, died in Valley View Arkansas.
Picture From Left to Right:
Dennis Homer Flynn Jones, B. April 29, 1900. Marshall, Oklahoma.
D. October 11, 1976, Ponca
City Hospital, Ponca City, Oklahoma
Married Bertha Big Eagle, Full Osage, March 30, 1920.
Adah Gertrude Jones Wadley, Mrs. Dan T. Wadley, B. March 11, 1890. D. July
13, 1986. Born on an Indian reservation, Oklahoma territory, Osage
Nataion, Bartlesville, Oklahoma at the foot of Osage Hills on Big Caney
River close to Hogshooter's creek in a tent.
Lee Otis Jones. B. July 9, 1902, Marshall, Oklahoma D. October 31, 1986
Ponca City Hospital, Ponca City, Oklahoma. Married Velma Louise Pensoneau,
September 6, 1936, Ponca City, Oklahoma, Methodist Indian Mission,
WhiteEagle reservation, Oklahoma. Velma, half Shawnee and half
Ponca.
This photograph had to be taken after 1920 when Dennis was about twenty.
On the back of the photo, only the date, September 30, Foraker, Oklahoma.
Dennis and Bertha were married in March when he was nineteen, she
fourteen. The ranch house was built around 1920 at Foraker, Oklahoma.
These two extremely young looking men laid out the plans and supervised
the project with their father, Joseph Hubbard Jones's, help. Dennis said,
"Dad mortgaged his land at Ralston, Oklahoma in order for us to go ahead
and build since Bertha had not come into her inheritance yet."
To this day, the location of the home is isolated with only one adjoining
ranch. These people being allowed to cut a road through the meadow land
of the Jones's. Today their old ranch home is alone and dilapidated,
vandalized by unruly, undisciplined youth
The ranch that was built was laid out with outbuildings of dairy barn,
hay-barn, two car garage, two tenet houses, and an airy, planned chicken
house. For those days it made quite a statement. The house ran on a wind
generator for electricity, something unheard of at the time. There was
indoor plumbing with hot and cold running water for a bathroom and
kitchen.
Joseph Hubbard Jones, father of Dennis and Lee "witched" the water for the
only well, still existing within many miles. Of course, today, rural water
piped in from great distances serves a smattering of population.
The order of it suggests to me, Joseph had much to do with the planning of
the place.
Joseph fought valiantly for his family up until his death over ninety
years. He was protective of Velma, Lee's wife, and her children. He was
very fond of Bertha and some say after her tragic death he too seemed to
begin to grow older more rapidly.
These young people in this photograph were reaping the reward of their
father's hard work. Joe was successful in dealing with the Indians. He had
no prejudices. Bellzona, Joe's wife, was a wise choice in a mate. There,
too , was simply an ability to stay alive in such dire hard circumstances.
The ability to dowse for water by using a divining rod or a peach tree
limb was looked at by some as being a "witchy" type thing to do and
sometimes the person able to do it was suspect. Newer studies have shown
that it really has nothing to do with the supernatural. It was this talent
that gave Joe the edge, removing him from the place where he could be
called a gambler. The well he brought in at the ranch home was only low
once. This was in the drought years of 1955. Water meant the difference in
whether a family was able to remain clean, healthy, comfortable and if
they were able to water their stock, plentiful food was assured. |
