JONES-Oliver Morton - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Oliver Morton JONES has been a practicing lawyer at Danville for over 30 years. An abundant measure of success has attended his professional work, and he has given his time and talents to the law with little participation in politics beyond performing the duty incumbent of every citizen. Mr. Jones was born at Rob Roy, Indiana Jan 18, 1867. In the paternal line he is of Welsh ancestry but of American Colonial stock. His grandfather, Hiram Jones was born in NC in 1796 and in 1828 came west and settled in Fountain County, Indiana where he was one of the pioneers and became a large land owner and farmer. He died at Rob Roy Jan 16, 1878. His wife was born in KY in 1804 and died at Rob Roy July 11, 1878. Their son, Henry B. Jones was born at Rob Roy Oct 23, 1840 was reared and married there and devoted his life to farming in Indiana until 1903 when he removed to Danville and lived retired there until his death March 29, 1904. In his Indiana community he acted the part of a good citizen, holding a number of local offices, including school trustee was a republican voter and devout Methodist. He also belonged to the Masonic fraternity. Henry B. Jones married Joanna Dudley Meeker, who was born near Roby Roy, March 18, 1842 and is now 84 a resident od Danville. Her father, Usual h. Meeker, whose ancestors came from England, was born in NY state Oct 12, 1811 and as a small boy went with his parents to Ohio and in 1833 settled in western Indiana, and became a well known farmer there. He died at Rob Roy April 13, 1892. Usual H. Meeker married Sarah DUDLEY who was born in the state of Main in 1910 (sic - 1810?) and died at Rob Roy in August 1884. Oliver Morton Jones is one of the two sons, his older brother Lorenzo E, being a retired farmer at Danville. Oliver M. Jones grew up on his father's farm near Rob Roy, attended public schools there, the high school at Attica, Indiana and in 1889 graduated with the Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University at Lafayette, Indiana. He took his law course in the University of Michigan graduating with the LL B Degree in the class of 1891. In that year he was admitted to the Michigan bar, also to the bar of Indiana and in 1892 was qualified to practice in Illinois, having removed to Danville in 1891. His practice has been in both the civil and criminal law and has brought him various responsibilities and interests in business and financial affairs. He is a stockholder in and attorney for Commercial Trust & Savings Bank, Danville and is director and attorney for Vermilion County Building Association. He is Sr. member of the law firm Jones, McIntire & Jones, with offices in the Daniel Building. Mr. Jones was 10 years a member of Danville School Board and 12 years member of Board of Supervisors of Vermilion Co. He is a republican; an active Methodist, being on the executive board of St. James Church, Danville, is a member of Danville Chamber of Commerce; Vermilion Co and Ill State Bar Associations, Danville Lodge No. 59, independent order of Odd Fellows and Danville Lodge, Knights of Pythias. He has accumualted some real estate interests in Danville, including his residence at 1517 North Vermilion Street. Mr. Jones married at Deer Creek, Indiana Oct 7, 1901 Miss Emma FOUTS, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Fouts. Her father was a farmer in Carroll County, Indiana. Mrs. Jones likewise finished her education at Purdue. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have 3 children; Josephin J. is a graduate of Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, and is now the wife of Leon L. ILTIS, a professor in the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The daughter, Joanna graduated from the Hamilton College in KY, and from the School of Expression at Boston, Mass and was married to Lewis G. BISHOP, a contractor and builder at Danville. The only son, Paul F, graduated from Danville HS, attended Northwestern Unversity and took his law degree at University of Michigan, now being junior member of the law firm Jones, McIntire & Jones. His son was a volunteer during the World War, being one of the young men selected for duty as instructor in the Students' Army Training Corps at Millikin University, Decatur, Ill. He was commissioned a 2nd Lt. of infantry and was in service one year.