Buena Vista County, IA
USGenWeb Project

C. L. Jones owns a well improved farm of two hundred and fifty-one acres, located in Nokomis township and throughout a long period was extensively engaged in stock-raising but is now living in a nice home in Alta.  He was born near Springfield in Sangamon county, Illinois, December 24, 1849, a son of T. P. and Eleanor (Boyd) Jones, the former a native of Delaware and the latter of West Virginia.  Their marriage, however, occurred in Indiana.  T. P. Jones removed to Sangamon county, Illinois, in 1854.  Coming to Iowa he took up his abode in Jasper county, where he entered three hundred acres of land from the government, improved the place and made his home thereon until 1892, when he removed to Colfax and there his death occurred the following year, while his wife survived for only a year, passing away in 1894.

C. L. Jones, whose name introduces this review, is one of a family of five daughters and four sons, of whom but one sister survives.  The son was a little lad of five years when the family removed from Illinois to Jasper county, Iowa, and there he was reared and educated.  In 1872 he went to Cherokee county and spent one year, subsequent to which time, in 1873, he continued his journey to Buena Vista county.  He first purchased forty acres of raw land in Maple Valley township and after improving the same bought an additional forty acre tract.  He later added more land and became the owner of one hundred and one acres, which he eventually sold and bought one hundred and sixty acres in Cherokee county.  He likewise developed and improved this farm, erected a good house and other substantial buildings and made his home thereon for some years.  In l889 he rented his land and removed to Alta, where he built a nice home.  He later disposed of his farm and invested his money in two hundred and fifty-one acres on section 31, Nokomis township.  Mr. Jones improved this place with substantial buildings and a windmill.  He also tiled and fenced the land, so that the soil has been made arable and productive.  He was formerly extensively engaged in raising and feeding cattle, horses and hogs, handling several carloads annually.

Mr. Jones was married in Jasper county, Iowa, August 22, 1872, the lady of his choice being Miss Mary C. Lentzinger, who was born in Germany but was reared in this country.  They have two daughters:  Effie, the wife of W. Q. Burgett, a druggist of Newell, Iowa, by whom she has a son, Kenneth Jones Burgett; and Iva, the wife of S. N. McGowan, a lawyer of Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Politically Mr. Jones is independent and is a Master Mason, belonging to the lodge at Alta, while both he and his wife are members of the Eastern Star, of which Mr. Jones is an officer.  Mr. and Mrs. Jones spent two years in travel through North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, British Columbia, Oregon and California, whence they made their way home in September, 1907.  During the present year they enjoyed an automobile tour in the state of Iowa.  Mr. Jones and his estimable wife are highly esteemed pioneers of this state, for when they located here the country was still largly [sic] unimproved while much wild game was still to be found in this district.  They worked hard and long in the acquirement of a competency and now in the evening of their days they can look back over a life well spent and enjoy the fruits of their former toil.