JONES, J.C. AND EUPHEMIA

by Walter Jones

Entry F229 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

J.C. Jones Homestead about 1907

John Calvin Jones was born in Scott City,
Kansas, January 5, 1878. Euphemia Bell
Caudle was born March 8, 1878 in Green
County, Illinois. J.C. and Euphemia were
married in 1897 and came to Cherry County
from Kansas in 1906 and filed on a homestead
in Surrey Valley 1907, which was 32 miles
north of Ashby, Nebraska. The couple had
two children, Gladice Irene, born in 1898 and
died in Hyannis, Nebraska in 1931 where she
was buried. Walter F. was born in April 26,
1910.

Euphemia was the first postmistress for
Surrey, Nebraska in addition to maintaining
a store for the surrounding community. J.C.
operated a freight line between Gordon and
Hyannis. Their home was near where the
surveying was being done for the Great
Northern Railroad.

The family came to Hooker County in 1926
for the children to attend school. The 14the
of May 1926, George Hawley in Mullen sold
his Blacksmith holdings to J.C. J.C. then
became a general blacksmith in the old
Mercure Shop, opening for business June
1926.

When J.C. and Euphemia moved to Hook-
er County from Survey they lived on the
Middle Loup River north of Mullen, for a
year, on the place that is now known as
Tilbert Wrights, at that time it was called the
Hansen place. In 1930 they built their own
home west of Mullen where Cyrus Cooley now
lives.

J.C. maintained his Blacksmith shop from
1926 till 1946. February 23, 1938 Euphemia
died and was buried in the Cedarview
Cemetery in Mullen. March 29, 1956 J.C. died
and was laid to rest by his wife.