Smyrna times., 1886-11-10
Almost a Centenarian.
1788.-18S6.
DEATH OF MRS. ELLEN JONES.

| The death of Mrs. Ellen Jones. more
familiarity known as "Aunty Jones"
which occurred at o'clock on Sunday
morning ended what has been in more
respects than one a remarkable life.
Her advanced age, her birth, reaching
back to the infancy of our Government
and running through period of nearly
SO years, would of itself make her
death notable event, but her life from
her early youth until death after a
long and hard fight gained the mastery,
was one of marked characteristics and
crowned throughout with deeds of
womanly virtues. There was nothing
negative in her character, while at the
same time there was nothing wanting
in those qualities that give charm
to gentle womanhoOd. The distin-
gushing feature that made her life con-
spicuOus above others in the church
and social circle in which she moved
and made her an object of reverence
in her later years, was her exaltation
of faith and unwavering fidelity to its
precepts and principles.
Christ was to her living, ever-abid-
ing presence. Her religious life had
its outward manifestation in love that
ran out to all, and the constant Won
der to her was that everybody could
not believe and enjoy the same peace
and love that she did While her life
was one in which the light of faith
never grew dim, nor The fires died out
out on the altar in a religious life of SO
years, she was in no sense an enthus-
last. The strong, practical sense that
characterized her habit OF mind pre-
cluded this. In life Of such constant
and continued elevation of thought,
with never purpose to do aught that
would bring pain to her own consci-
ence nor offend another, it might read
lily be supposed that there were many
seasons when the affections were
warmed to a glow, but never in mani
festaGons beyond the strictest sense of
| prOpriety.
With such a nature, it is not to be
wondered at that a life of lukewarm-
ness or formality was held as little bet
ter than positive Worldliness. Hence
she urged upon her fellow Christians
the use of every means of grace and
held nothing outside of her own home
IN such high esteem as the Church in
the privileges and incentives to a relie-
| iOus life it afforded. Entering on n
! Christian life at the age of fifteen wears.
she continued without the least show
Of weariness until the feebleness of the
past several years made it impossible.
The last time she was at church to
join in the public worship was at the
thanksgiving service two years ago.
When at last she could not 90 herself
the next greatest pleasure was to see her
daughter and husband, w. w. Nelson.
go to church. The time when thew
could not all go together was, however.
a period of only a few months. In the
July following, Mrs. Nelson, bv what
was then considered a slight hurt from
a fall, was required to take to her room
where after months of unusual suffer
ing she died last Spring, mourned not
only Tor her loss to the community but
because of the great and unexpected
loss to the mother at the time when
she most needed her services of care
and affection. "Acnty" Jones went
to her room upstairs at the same time
as her daughter, not to descend again
voluntarily, feeling her lifework was
GOne and ready and anxious to take
ner departure to an unknown, but what
she felt assured was a better country.
but such was the tenacity of life, ready
time and again apparently to let 90 and
then taking hold as with a new lease.
1t was not until the peaceful. Quiet
hours OF Sunday morning that nature
exhausted itself and the spirit was al
lowed to take its flight. Thus lived
and thus died one who has gone in
and out before this community these
many years, whose life was n sweet
SAVIOR of christian graces and whose
name IS held in blessed memory
throughout many churches.
Mrs. Jones' maiden name was Ellen
Fierce. She was born and raised near
Milford, where, in young womanhood
she married Isaac Jones, who was a
local preacher in the NJ. f. Church
Shortly after their marriage thew
moved from their native place to the
vicinity OF Kenton, where twelve years
after their marriage, in 1922. he died.
leaving her three of the four children
that had been born to them TO rear
without means, and dependent entirely
upon her own efforts for their support
Her eldest daughter Rebecca. married
isaac Mitten, who, Joined by her son
James, migrated to the West at the
time when the Western fever" as it
was called, carried some fiftv wears
ago, so many Delaware families To
what were then the frontier States
They settled in Indiana. where thew
are still living in ease and comfort
with their children in the same section
and both past their fourscore. Nearly
% years ago her youngest daughter
Mary, married w. w. Nelson, where
she ever after made her home, and
contributed her share to making n
home that was more than usually
happy. Thirteen years ago thev moved
to this town from the country. where
hitherto they had resided in the viein-
ity of Kenton.
Mrs. Jones' husband was a soldier in
the war of 1872, and by an act of Con-
gress passed few years ago, the wild
OWs OF soldiers of that war were put on
footing with those of the Civil War,
since which time she received a pen
sion. She was widow Ga years. She
was taken into the church under the
ministry of Richard Lyon and married
by Solomon Sharp. Her active life i'm
the nj. +. Church has thus been almost
eoeval with the existence of the denom-
ination. Not the church alone. but all
coguate associations instituted for the
public good claimed an equal share of
her attention, and she was the oldest
membero of the WOman's Christian Tenn
perance Union in the whole United
States.
The funeral services were held ves.
terday afternoon, attended by a large
number of friends. The Rev. Enoeh
Stubbs, of Philadelphia, oficiated H.
obedience to promise made when he
was pastor here. after which tba ~
mains were followed to Glenwood com
etery, the place of interment Ws
Nelson, thus bereft in one wear of I'll I'll |
the members Of his immediate fsn,;I,, r.,
that formed the centre and coroa,a,
meeting ground Of an unusnaIlv iaron arol
circle, mas as, tne I s. sincere sympathy Of tie
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