James B. Jones, M. D. For almost a half century Dr. James B. Jones had been in the active practice of his noble profession in Anderson County, Kansas, and while widely known and universally appreciated in other honorable capacities, it is as the skilled and experienced physician and surgeon that his people love him most. Doctor Jones was born October 21, 1847, in Randolph County, Indiana, in one of the picturesque little pioneer cabins that have long since given way in that section to the march of progress, but the memory of which still lingers along with childhood’s recollections. His parents were Llewellyn A. and Lucinda Jane (Parsons) Jones.
The father of Doctor Jones was born in 1811 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, coming of Welsh stock, and he died in 1895, at Abilene, Kansas. His business was farming and he was also a minister in the United Brethren faith. In 1830 he was married to Lucinda Jane Parsons, who was a daughter of Robert J. Parsons, a veteran of the Revolutionary war. She was born in Randolph County, Indiana, and died there in 1850. To this marriage nine children were born, seven sons and two daughters, both of the latter dying in infancy. The sons were: William T., David, Lewis, Llewellyn A., all deceased; James B., Henry F., now of Chanute, Kansas, and John M., of Oklahoma.
James B. Jones remained at home and worked on his father’s farm until 1862, but probably had cherished while attending the district schools in boyhood plans for another industrial field, for he managed to learn the printer’s trade and a printer’s composing rule accompanied him through his years of soldiering. He gave three years, two months and twenty-one days to the service of his country during the Civil war. He was a member of Company H, One Hundredth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, serving in the Fifteenth Army Corps, under the command of Gen. John A. Logan. He participated in some of the most serious battles of the war, including Shiloh, Chickamauga, Vicksburg, Stone River and Atlanta. He was seriously wounded at Chickamauga and again at Atlanta, where he was left unnoticed among the dead on the field for a time and only had been nursed back to intelligence after his mourning parents had had his funeral sermon preached and were tenderly cherishing the obituary notice from the local press. Doctor Jones had the opportunity of reading this notice at a later date.
After the war closed he returned home and then entered Rush Medical College, Chicago, and remained two years and following that practiced for two years in Iowa and Missouri.
In 1871 Doctor Jones came to Kansas and had been in practice in Anderson County ever since. He had not only become eminent in his profession here and honored in every branch of it, but he had filled a number of public offices as well. He had been mayor of Garnett, had been police judge, for four years he was clerk of the District Court and had been health officer and county coroner, and had also been United States pension examiner.
In 1915 Doctor Jones was appointed by Governor Arthur Capper to the office of physician and surgeon at the Kansas State Soldiers’ Home at Fort Dodge, Kansas, a recognition of Doctor Jones’ scientific qualifications very satisfactory to all concerned.
Doctor Jones was married at Garnett, Kansas, to Mrs. Mary Jane (Davis) Lynch, who was born in Washington County, Missouri, December 22, 1838. She died at Fort Dodge, Kansas, March 19, 1917. They had two children: Eugene Franklin was born October 23, 1872, and after being graduated from the Garnett High School taught school in Anderson County for thirteen years and is now a merchant in Topeka, Kansas. In 1899 he married Miss Ann Reitz, and they have a daughter, Helen Aletha. Lena Ethel, who was born in Anderson County, November 12, 1876, was graduated from the Colony High School. She married William N. McCoy in 1897, and they have five children, Millard D., Bessie, Eugene, Dorothy and Mary.
On the occasion of Doctor Jones’ second marriage his fellow citizens prepared a friendly celebration, in which the people of Garnett endeavored to give expression to the high esteem in which he is held. A pleasant feature was the attendance of Company K, First Kansas Infantry, in a body. Doctor Jones was married August 27, 1917, at Ottawa, Kansas, to Mrs. Anna Belle (Amos) Thompson, who was born in Howard County, Indiana, June 29, 1875. Mrs. Jones is a daughter of W. H. and Eliza (Miller) Amos, natives of Indiana. Mrs. Jones had three children by her former marriage: Eva, who was born April 11, 1899; Raymond, who was born June 3, 1900; and Helen, who was born August 24, 1904.
Doctor Jones is identified with the Masonic fraternity and he belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic. In politics he had always been a zealous republican. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
