William F. Jones was born on June 15, 1854 in Llanddyfnan, Anglesey, Wales to Owen Jones and Ann (Pritchard) Jones. He spent his childhood in Tyddyn Dai on the isle of Anglesey. He was married to Catherine Jane Thomas on October 14, 1878 in Anglesey. They had eleven children. Only the names of these ten are known: Lydia Ann, (b. December 1878–died in infancy), Mary Ellen (b. June 1882), Robert Thomas (b. May 15, 1886), Gladys (b. December 22, 1888), Henry John (b. May 9, 1889), Amwell M., William F. Jr., Edith May (b. October 24, 1891), Hugh Owen (b. September 18, 1893), and Vivian Olwen (b. February 3, 1900).
Abandoned Chicago Great Western Depot at Woodbine, Illinois
In 1883, William, Catherine, and family emigrated to America. They settled in Woodbine, Jo Daviess, Illinois, where they resided for nineteen years. William was a farmer.
In September of 1902, the family moved to Houghton, South Dakota, where they spent the rest of their lives. A story in the Aberdeen American News from February 18, 1909 declares that the Joneses were visiting their old home in Illinois.
Catherine passed away in 1919, and William continued living and farming in Brown County with his family for the next twelve years. William died on August 25, 1932 in Houghton. He was buried in rural Houghton.
WILLIAM JONES FAMILY: FIRST ROW: MARRY ELLEN, LYDIA ANNE, CATHERINE JANE (THOMAS), WILLIAM F. AND VIVIAN OLWEN. 2ND ROW: GLADYS (?) OR EDITH (?), ROBERT THOMAS, HENRY JOHN, AMWELL M., AND GLADYS (?) OR EDITH (?). THIRD ROW: HUGH OWEN AND WILLIAM F., JR.
