Edward William Jones Submitted by: Mr. and Mrs. William Edward Jones
Edward William Jones was born March 6, 1884 in Caddo, Indian
Territory, the youngest child of Noel and Mary Jones. He had three
brothers, Frank, Stan Waitie, and Israel, and four sisters, Elizabeth,
Annie, Louisa, and Narcissa. His father, Noel had five known brothers,
Impson, Thomas, Edmond, Robin, and Wallace Jones. Noel’s father was
Solomon Jones, who it is believed came from Mississippi. Solomon may have
been a brother to Nathaniel Jones, father of Chief Wilson N. Jones.
Solomon may have had 11 or more children. Names of other children may have
been, Sam, Allen, Leveen, Pheba and Claiben. Solomon was married at least
three times. Noel did not know the name of his mother. Edward’s family
were members of the Old Bennington Church in the 1860’s and 70’s. There
are members of his family buried in the Old Church Cemetery. Edward was a
very proud and regal man, very tall and lean. He stood ramrod straight and
walked with his hands folded behind his back. He had a full head of dark
hair and dressed in khaki colored pants or overalls and wore a cowboy hat.
He was a very nice looking man, even in old age. He spoke fluent Choctaw
and often sang Choctaw songs. The only formal education he had was two
days at school. Yet he could read and write. On July 2, 1905, at the age
of 21, Edward married 19-year-old Clara Ellen Key, daughter of Dr. W.M.
Key, at the church down by Owl Creek, Atoka County, Indian Territory.
Clara was a very straight laced and religious woman. She wore long dresses
and long stockings. Edward and Clara had a farm south of Tupelo, in Coal
County, Oklahoma. They raised hay and peanuts, had horses and cows. They
had two workhorses and would take a wagon and go into town once a month
for groceries. They would only buy staples as most of their food was grown
or raised on the farm. Edward liked to hunt and fish and the family
remembers eating a lot of fried squirrel. Edward and Clara had nine
children: Willie Noel, named after his grandfather, born June 26, 1906.
Willie married Ruby Slinger on September 8, 1932. They had no children.
Tragically they lost their next two sons. Earnest, born August 7, 1908,
who died at the age of two; and Georgie, born December 6, 1910, who died
at the age of three; The fourth child was a girl named Nellie Mable, born
March 9, 1913. Nellie married Fredrick Roy Scott on December 10, 1930, in
Ryan, Oklahoma. They had three children, Billie Jean, Fred, and Royce Joe.
They have seven grandchildren. Again they lost another child, their second
girl, Sophie Grace, born June 26, 1916, who died at age five from eating
poison berries. The sixth child was Howard Dee, born March 5, 1918 in
Atoka, Oklahoma. Howard married Helen Batchelor on December 1, 1943. They
had nine children: Estalene Nicholes, Helen’s daughter from a previous
marriage, Howard Lee, Bobby dean, Joyce Dean, Clara Evelynn, Helen
Deloris, Rhonda Elaine, William Edward, and Caroline Annette. They have 18
grandchildren. The seventh child, Sillis, born September 4, 1920, died at
birth. W.R. called Dub was born September 26, 1921 in Atoka Ok. W.R.
married Nell Louise Scott, January 15, 1944 in Coalgate, Oklahoma. They
had five children: Earnest Ray, Judy, Walter Roy, James and Gary. They
have five grandchildren. Clyde Eleith, called Jack, was born May 8, 1926.
Clyde married Edith Martin, March 13, 1949. They had five children: Billy
Clyde, Lillian Fay, Geneva Sue, Paul Anthony, and Ginger Ilean. Clyde had
a daughter, Nelda Kay from a previous marriage. They have 11
grandchildren. Edward’s children referred to him as Papa. Both he and
Clara were very hard working people. Edward’s father, Noel Jones was
bedfast in his latter years and lived in their home until his death in May
of 1908. His children and grandchildren remember Edward as being a good
storyteller. He told of playing stickball and of how rough the game was.
He often told stories about his father being on the Indian Court. One
story he told was of the Indian boy who was found guilty of murder by the
Indian Court and sentenced to death and was let go to go home to get his
things in order and told to come back at the date set for his execution.
The boy did come back o that date. The woman braided his hair and he
picked the man to shot hi, because you did not want to be killed by an
enemy, he picked a friend, and two men held him by the arms so he would
not hit the ground when he was shot. Edward was said to have witnessed
this as a child. Clara died of a heart attack at her home in Coalgate on
December 29, 1963. Edward never remarried. He lived to see two grandsons
killed in the Vietnam War. Howard Lee Jones in 1966, son of Howard and
Helen Jones, and Earnest Ray Jones in 1970, son of Walter and Louise
Jones, and a granddaughter, Geneva Sue leukemia in 1971, daughter of Clyde
and Edith Jones. He retired from farming and lived for a time in Tupelo
and the manor at Coalgate. He died June 19, 1979 and is buried at
Centrahoma Cemetery next to his wife. His descendents still live in and
around Coal County, Oklahoma.
THE GRANDFATHER OF EDWARD WILLIAM JONES
1 Solomon Jones est. 1808-est. 1879
+unknown
………….2 Impson Jones est. 1821-est. 1881
……………………3 Willis Jones
……………………3 David Jones
……………………3 Jincy Jones
……………………3 Eliza Jones
……………………3 Caherine Jones
……………………3 Alice Jones est. 1867-1939
………………………+Unknown Folsom
……………………3 Robert Jones est. 1868 –
……………………3 Frances Jones est. 1854 –
……………………...+Bartholeman Lane est. 1838 – m: October 24, 1875
………….2 Robin Jones est. 1833 - est. 1900
……………+Phillis
……………………3 Molly Jones
………….2 Thomas Jones est. 1839 -est. 1879
……………+Sally
……………………3 Elizabeth Jones
……………………3 Amy Jones
……………………3 Louisa Jones
………….2 Noel Jones est. 1840 - est. 1908
