Gwenford/Winnifred Williams Jones

Gwenford William Jones

found on Ancestry.com

submitted by bdbowen67

Winnifred or Gwenford is noted as first name. died from heart attack Gwenford/Winnifred Williams Jones Gwen as she was most known was born on 14 Feb 1869 at E T Tooele, Utah. She was the fourth of twelve children born to Jinkin Williams and Rachel Vaughan. Her parents belong to the LDS Church but for some reason they were excommunicated.They then joined the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In the Spring 1870 they moved to Malad Valley, in Idaho. At that time they had 5 children William, Maria, Rachel, Gwenford, and Jinkin the baby.

They located at Cherry Creek, six miles south of Malad. This neighborhood consisted of five families, Daniel Tovy's, Benjamin William's, John D Jones' first family Moses Dudley's second family and Adam Peabody (bachelor).Her first schooling was at Willow Springs, Idaho. Finally Cherry Creek erected a school. The school terms in those days were three months. Her father was killed in 1884, when a shed fell on him one Sunday morning. Her mother finally moved to Malad with the younger group of her unmarried children, where she felt she would have a better opportunity of supporting her large family. I need not mention how nobly she performed this service. County charity was never accepted by her, she peddled goods and helped with the sick.

When Gwen was thirteen she milked at the Dairy of Stephania Jones, at the head of Malad. She milked 20 cows a day for $1.50 a week. She later worked for Verl Dives, where she worked until she got married at the age of twenty. It was 13 Mar 1888 that she married John Morris Jones, son of John D Jones and Mary Jane Jones. They had a church wedding, which was a double wedding, with John G Evans and Sarah Ann Jones (John Morris sister) being married at the same time by John Morris and Sarah Ann's father Marrying them.

Gwen and John raised 9 children in a 2 room house with a santy. In 1908 they moved into their new house which was about a block north of their old one. While they were there they had another child, (ten children in all) a little girl named Edna Maurine. Edna died when she was 10 months old from fumes fumigating the house. William James died of a lingering illness at the age 11.

When Morris, the second born, lost his wife in death on 24 May 1926, leaving5 children motherless, Gwen and John took them into their home to help Morris raise them. It was on 24 Jul 1931 that John died at the age of 73. Morris and his family remained with Gwen, with Morris operating her farm for her. Almost one year after John's death, Winnie their youngest remaining daughter died of a head infection, In 1941 her son John died. Gwen lived in Cherry Creek the rest of her life taking care of herself and son, doing her own housework until the morning when death took quickly at 82 without warning in her home for so many years, where she raised two families. She died 7 Sep 1950 and buried at Cherry Creek, Idaho.

Her granddaughter, Connie loved to go to Cherry Creek in the summer time and work on the farm. She says her Grandma Jones was always singing. She loved hearing her sing both in Welch and English. What a thrill for Connie with other members of the family and after a lot of writing letters to the leaders of the church and to members of the family to see how many were active in the church. Jinkin Williams and Rachel Vaughan was reinstated into the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on 23 Feb 1967 in the Logan Temple. Then had all their children sealed to them. Connie got to go and stand in as proxy for her Grandmother Gwen. What a great day it was to be there with other members of the family to getthis work done.

A Grandmother's Love

Tracie Turner

told by Donna Tolman

When Grandma Fern Jones Greer was sick, we were very worried about her. My Mom (Donna) worried about her being alone in the nursing home. My Dad prayed asking for some peace regarding the situation. In the morning he asked my Mom if she knew who Gwen was. She said the name sounded familiar. He told her that he dreamed that a woman named Gwen was there with her, taking care of her. My Mom pulled out her pedigree charts and discovered that Gwenford was her Mom's (Fern's) grandmother. Gwenford had passed before my mom was born so she never really new about her. This gave them great peace. Isn't that just like a Grandma to take care of her grandchildren.

Gwen Jones with some of her Grandchildren