Robert W. Jones
Robert W.
Jones
Born
Feb. 14, 1848
Died
Dec. 12, 1890
JONES
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
Biography
The tombstone of Robert W. Jones gives the testimony that he was born on 14 February 1848. Deed records of Nueces County and articles from the local Caller report that he is a physician—Dr. Robert W. Jones—whose wife is Laura W. Jones. Nueces County Deed Records Book R page 86 (16 July 1888) notes that they bought property from Rachel Parker and then later sold it before making a move (Book S page 592). According to census records, Robert was a native of Ohio and the son of another physician, Hiram G. Jones, who initially married Nancy Jane Woods on 4 August 1846 in Adams County, Ohio. Hiram and Nancy are listed with young Robert in the 1850 census of Adams County, Ohio (page 139). By 1860 the family is living in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana (page 435) and Robert has a little sister (“S. R. Jones†who is 9 years old in 1860). Apparently Robert’s mother, Nancy, died sometime after 1860 because by 1880 Hiram is still a doctor serving the community of Evansville, but now he is married to Annie S. Jones. This is Anna Fahnstock whose death was announced in the local paper on 6 Nov. 1919. The notice states that Dr. H. G. Jones had been one of Evansville’s early physicians of prominence who had built his house at 521 (221) S. 2nd Street, “his office occupying the corner where the Naas residence now standsâ€. At any rate by the 1880 census, Robert is a physician living with his father and stepmother in Evansville (p. 307A). He is about 30 years old and has three stepsiblings who are all under the age of 10 years old. His stepmother is listed as only 9 years older than Robert (she is 39 years old) while his father is now 55 years old. With two physicians practicing medicine, the family was well off as reflected in the presence of four servants from Europe and Kentucky. Sometime in the mid-1880s Robert married and moved to south Texas with his wife Laura. By February of 1888, the Caller is announcing the birth of a son to Robert and Laura (C. C. Caller, 11 February 1888, page 4 col. 6), and the following May the family is visiting with the C. K. Gravis family in San Diego during festivities surrounding a tournament of the local Gun clubs in which Dr. Jones participated (C. C. Caller of 12 May 1888 page 1 col. 6 and page 4 col. 6). In the following March of 1889, R. W. and Laura W. Jones were received into the local First Presbyterian Church as members (March 3, 1889). Apparently the family was well respected in the community because the local paper also notes that Dr. R. W. Jones was an officer in the A.O.U.W. Lodge No. 121. The Ancient Order of United Workmen was the beginning of the American fraternal benefit network that began after the Civil War in response to increased urbanization and the social and economic challenges that followed the war. The AOUW was founded by John Jordan Upchurch, a Mason, in Meadville, Pennsylvania on 27 October 1868 with the aim of adjusting “all differences which may arise between employers and employees, and to labor for the development of a plan of action that may be beneficial to both parties, based on the eternal truth that the interests of labor and capitol are equal and should receive equal protectionâ€. Each member paid usually a sum of $1 to an insurance fund to cover the sum of not less than $500 in benefits paid to members’ dependents if he died. Each time a member died another $1 was due from the surviving members to reestablish the fund. By 1895, the fraternity had increased to the size of over 318,000 members. This membership would be of benefit to the Jones family as they faced the tragedies that then punctuated their lives. A daughter, Annie Laura Jones, was born to the couple on 13 September 1889, only to die the following day. The family marker in Old Bayview Cemetery notes her name and brief life. Dr. Robert W. Jones himself died on 12 December 1890 at only 42 years old according to this marker. His young widow would have needed any financial help the fraternity could offer because at the time of her husband’s death Laura was pregnant with another child. Little Robert Weston Jones was born on 10 March 1891, three months after his father’s untimely death. The Caller announced, “A fine baby boy was born to Mrs. R. W. Jones Tuesday morning†(C. C. Caller of 14 March 1891, page 4 col. 6). At that time, Laura was planning a new home in the vicinity of the Miramar hotel (C. C. Caller of 23 January 1891). However, once again tragedy would strike as infant Robert died only a little more than a month after his birth. The family stone records his death as 18 April 1891. Possibly this was the final blow to Laura and convinced her to begin again elsewhere as she is not subsequently found in the local records under the name of Laura W. Jones.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell