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Jones Family papers

 Collection
Identifier: MG 565

Scope and Contents

This collection contains materials kept by the Jones Family, specifically Myrtle E., Earl P., and Richard L. Jones. Items include World War I and World War II service information, photographs, correspondence, and the personal diaries and writings of Myrtle E. Jones.

Dates

  • Creation: 1913-1981

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Restrictions on Use

The file labeled "Custody Documents" has a restriction. Consult Head of Special Collections and Archives on permission for use.

Biographical / Historical

Myrtle Eleanor Jones was born Myrtle Smith on August 30, 1900 in Spokane, Washington to Franz (Frank) and Emma Smith. Sometime in her life Myrtle had moved to Miles City, Montana where she became a school teacher. Here she met Earl Percy Jones, and the two married on August 30, 1921. They moved to Seattle, Washington before coming to Latah County in 1971. She died on January 30, 1981 in Moscow, Idaho.

Earl Percy Jones was born on Septmeber 20, 1895 to Walter and Sina Jones in Dayton, Ohio. After graduating high school in Ohio, he moved to Montana to homestead. Then in 1917, Earl enlisted in the Army. During World War I, he served in Company E, 4th Engineer Regiment, 4th Division AEF ("Ivy" Division). He saw combat in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. He was discharged in 1919 and returned to Montana to continue ranching. After moving to Seattle, Washington with his wife Myrtle, Earl worked as a waterfront cargo checker in the Puget Sound. He did this for almost forty year before retiring. He died on January 28, 1981 in Moscow, Idaho.

Richard Lindhal Jones was born on July 13, 1926 in Seattle, Washington to Myrtle and Earl. He had five siblings, Eleanor, Donald, Fred, Barbara, and Mary. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Richard joined the US Merchant Marine Service when he was sixteen years old. He and his shipmates supplied troops stationed in Guadalcanal. While his ship was enroute back to Hawaii, he fell ill due to a ruptured appendix. He died on November 18, 1943, shortly after arriving in Honolulu and is burried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Extent

2.5 linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Correspondence, diaries, World War I and World War II memorabilia, photographs, scrapbooks, newsclippings, and manuscripts.

Arrangement

This collection was in no apparent order upon recieval. In the processing stage it was clear there were papers pertaining to three separate family members: Myrtle E., Earl P., and Richard L. Jones. The materials were organized according to which person they belonged to, and then organized by subject.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

These materials were donated by an anonymous donor. They were found in a Latah County farmhouse in Potlatch after the death of Myrtle E. Jones.

Title
Guide to Jones Family papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Sara Szobody.
Date
2023
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives Repository