Edith Jones

Notes:

Crofton, Knox Co., Nebraska by the Nebraska Historical Society

RICHARD AND JOSEPHINE JONES
Richard Thomas Jones was born shortly after the family immigrated from Wales and landed at Ellis Island. Their first home in America was in Wisconsin: they later moved to northeast IA (this would be Howard Co., IA). In 1881 Richard Jones and his wife Josephine (Hurley) moved to Knox Co., NE. They and their three children, Edith, Wilbur and Libbie, homesteaded one mile south and one half mile west of Crofton. The farm is now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kohles and their son Kevin and family (at the time of printing anyway...not sure about now) Mr. Jones loved singing which is characteristic of the Welsh people. Even though times were hard and material things were hard to come by, the home was filled with music, games and other forms of creative entertainment. The closest town in the area was Hartington, where they took wheat to be ground into flour. Mrs. Jones churned butter which they exchanged for things they couldn't raise. Mr. Jones passed away in his early 50's. After his death, Mrs. Jones moved into Crofton where she lived in the house located on the lot where Larry Crosley built his home. Edith Jones married Merton Cooley, editor of the Crofton Journal, who later was drowned in the Missouri River following an accident on the pontoon bridge. They had one daughter, Dixie. Edith Jones Cooley passed away when Dixie was three years old. Following her mother's death, Dixie went to live with her grandmother Jones. Libbie Jones was a country school teacher. She passed away at the age of 16 of diphtheria and was buried in the family plot with her father and sister, Edith. Wilbur Jones stayed on the farm and married Laura Rissler. Their family consisted of seven children: Elizabeth, Richard, Wellington, Bob, Bill, Mary Jo and Laurie. Wilbur's mother passed away in 1922 and was buried beside her husband and two daughters, Edith and Libbie. At this time, Dixie Cooley came and made her home with Wilbur and Laura and their family. Wilbur passed away in 1948 and his ashes were scattered on the hills of the farm where he played as a boy.

Edith married Herbert Merton Cooley on 29 Jun 1910 in Crofton, Knox Co, Nebraska. Herbert (son of Robert Reed Cooley and Stella Alfresine Owen) was born on 15 Oct 1875 in McGregor, Clayton Co, Iowa; died on 4 Nov 1914 in Yankton, Yankton Co, South Dakota; was buried in Missouri River. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Edith Dixie Cooley was born on 4 Aug 1911 in Flagler, Kit Carson Co, Colorado; died on 10 Aug 1981 in Chicago, Cook Co, Illinois; was buried on 13 Aug 1981 in Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Cook Co, Illinois.

Richard married Josephine Hurley about 1874 in Iowa. Josephine was born about Jun 1853 in Pleasant, Grant Co, Indiana; died about 1922. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]