Benjamin Jones age 91 Died at daughters home
Was a pioneer resident
He remembered when Quincy was a mere village
Benjamin Jones, probably the oldest resident of Quincy, succumbed at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J.W. Parker, at 1405 North Fifth street, yesterday afternoon at 4:45 o’clock. Death terminated from senility.
Mr. Jones was born in Sing Sing, N.Y., 91 years, 2 months and 3 days ago, and at the age of 14 came to Illinois, locating in Quincy one year later. At that time land near Washington park was selling for $1 per acre and buyers were hard to find. He resided in Quincy with his parents Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Jones until about 20 years of age when he engaged in farming near Columbus. After a few years his efforts at farming were rewarded with prosperity and he left this locality and moved to Missouri where he made his home over 40 years. At the age of 22 he married to Miss Mary Bodoy and five children were born to that union. His wife died in 1859 and five years later he was Married to Miss Louise Berrian, four children being born to them. After spending many years on his farm he assumed enough wealth to live comfortably during the remaining years of his life and when about 60 years of age retired and settled down in his home at Canton Mo., where he remained until seven years ago, when he returned to Quincy and took up his abode with his daughter, Mrs. J. W. Parker, after the death of his second wife. Remembered City As Village.
During the early years he spent in Illinois and Missouri he witnessed many experiences. This part of the country at that time was considered back woods and the fact that railroads were unknown in this locality made traveling unsafe and uncertain. Quincy was a mere village and the residence section of the city extended out to about Tenth street. The land surrounding here was unbroken and covered by dense forest. Log cabins were not uncommon and life was simple with every family. Mr. Jones well remembered his early days spent in Quincy and vicinity and often related many exciting and interesting occurrences of the early times. He is survived by five children, Mrs. J.W. Parker, of Quincy, Mrs. A. McRae, of Ewing, Mo.; Mrs Thomas Howard of LaBelle, Mo.; Mrs. E. H White of Hannibal, and John Howard of Canton, Mo. He also leaves one sister, Mrs Rachael Barks(Banks), of Monticello, Mo.
Additional Comments: Benjamin Jones’ sister Rachael Banks and her husband John J. Banks were the parents of ten children all born in Adams County, two of their daughters Ida T. and Helena (Lena) married brothers Balthaser and Joseph Meckes and were lifetime residents of Adams County.
Source: The Quincy Daily Whig, Apr 4, 1911
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