Alwilda Collins Jones

Before I move on to the next generation, I must tie up one lose end -- the marriage of my g-grandfather, Charles Henry, to Alwilda Collins in 1898.  There is pretty solid evidence that although it may have been a good decision for my g-grandfather to marry someone 16 years his junior, it was not perceived so well by his children and extended family.

I have written extensively about Alwilda on Jones Family Matters and you can read about it here.  (Great read if you haven't already read it). My grandfather, Pop, certainly didn't care for her.  I believe the picture at the right may have been from Charles' wedding to Alwilda, but no picture of Alwilda survives.  She was cut right out of the picture!  Secondly, I only discovered recently that her stepdaughter, Edith, sued Alwilda to get her portion of her inheritance by forcing their home to be sold and the proceeds divided among the heirs. My Aunt Margaret Ann's notes say that my grandfather swam out into the river at about the age of 13 to be a cabin boy on river boat.  It was said that this was in response to the death of his mother, but I think it was in all probability a reaction to the remarriage of his father to Alwilda.  He would have been 14 years old when his father remarried.  It was at this time that John and Caroline Zins befriended this young boy and later were to become landlords to Fred and his wife Norine.  John and Caroline were also Godparents to their first-born, Edith.

Alwilda survived her husband by 27 years. She never remarried and there is no evidence of much of a relationship with her stepchildren.  Even in her death notice there was no mention of her stepchildren. In a time before Social Security, life could not have been easy.  She died in 1937 and is buried next to her husband in Walnut Hills Cemetery.  It seems, in hindsight, that she got more respect in death than Rachel who is buried across the river in Kentucky with a grave marker that very much immortalizes the stresses in the family.

ERECTED BY HER MOTHER AND CHILDREN

What Can Be Learned from a House

Remains of the 2316 Gladstone Ave. Home

I've been researching our family history for eleven years now.  I never knew how much information I could get from researching a HOUSE!  My geneabuddy, Liz Stratton, has tried to convince me that property records can contain valuable clues related to your family's history.  Taking her at her word, I decided to see what I could learn from this one house.  As it ended up, the property records did not disappoint.

The two-family that became known as 2314/2316 Gladstone was originally 632 Gladstone before the streets of Cincinnati were renumbered.  I traced it back to 1878 when the house was owned by George C. Spiegel. Here is what the records showed:

December 25, 1878, William Adelmann filed suit against George C. Spiegel for the mortgage + 8% interest totaling $1356.65.  Judge ordered the house sold.

Ownership of home transferred to William Adelmann and his wife on May 15, 1881.

Charles H. and Rachel Jones purchase the home for $1100.00 on June 16, 1882.

Rachel dies in 1892.  Charles continues to live in the 2-family with his three children and mother-in-law.

Charles marries Alwilda Collins December 26, 1898.  Mother-in-law moves out to a house around the corner at 405 Collins.

Charles dies on September 9, 1909.  Property is to be divided as follows:  one-half to Alwilda (wife) and the other half to be divided equally among three children (Edith, Fred and Leo).

And this is where it gets interesting -- on February 7th, 1910, the oldest daughter, Edith Jones Hodges, filed suit against everyone who has a claim on the property in order to get her share. Defendants include:  Emery Hodges, Charles F. Jones, Norine Jones, Leo W. Jones, Melissa Jones and Alwilda Collins and the Columbia Bank and Savings Co. asking the Common Pleas Court for "partition."  It was decided that the "premises could not be divided without manifest injury." The property was then appraised and assigned a value of $2750.00 and ordered sold by the sheriff. On September 1, 1910 the house was sold for $1850.00 to Charles Ulrich.  At the time of the sale, Fred and Norine and Leo and Melissa were sharing one part of the house and Alwilda was living in the other.  Based on Cincinnati City Directories, the new owners must have allowed Alwilda to rent her part for the next couple of years, as this continued to be her residence.

The house was owned by Charles Ulrich and his wife, Elizabeth, following her husband's death in 1922 for 44 years.  In 1930, the City of Cincinnati purchased part of the back of the property from Elizabeth for Columbia Parkway.  She received $9000 in this transaction.  The house was sold in 1954 to Ben Simkin for $1.00 and other considerations. Three other owners purchased the home in 1975, 1985 and 1991.  In 1984, the value of the home and property for tax purposes was $12,915.

To our knowledge, the home was torn down in 1996. My brother Tim was working for a company that was asked to bid on the demolition.  All that remains now is overgrown brush, a stone wall and front steps, railroad tracks, and a great view of the Ohio River.

Dusty and Tim at the top of the front steps

"The Finest Man Ever . . ." Charles Henry Jones

Charles Henry Jones

" . . . He was the finest man who ever walked Eastern Avenue."

In a letter chronicling our family history, written by Lillian Mears first cousin of my grandfather, my great-grandfather was described this way:

Charles Henry Jones was a handsome, fair man, much like your Bob.  Everyone liked him and people said he was the finest man ever walked Eastern Avenue.  He looked something like your father, except his coloring was different.

"Bob" is the grandson of Charles Henry and the "father" she is referring to was his son, Charles F. Jones.  He is described as having blond hair and blue eyes.  So what do we know of him?  Charles was:

• Born January 23, 1849 and died September 8, 1909.
• He was married twice -- first to Rachel Adela Wainright on January 25, 1882 and later to Alwilda Collins on December 26, 1898 following the death at age 43 of his first wife.
• He was the father of three children:  Mary Edith (1882), my grandfather Charles Frederick (1884) and Leo Wainright Jones (1887).
• He started his career as a "sawyer", became a machinist/handyman and later was listed as a carriage maker/car repairer.
• He owned a two-family at 2316 Gladstone off of Collins Ave.
• He was actively involved in the Knights of Phythias, even having symbols of that fraternal organization engraved in his grave marker.
• He suffered from "chronic nephritis," a kidney disease that eventually was responsible for his death at the age of 59
• Charles died in 1909 and is buried next two his second wife in Walnut Hills Cemetery.

But there is so much more to this man than the "facts." I've tried over the years to put "flesh on those bones," but I'm afraid I must rely too much on conjecture.  In the next post, I'll give you my best guess about Charles Henry.  If you see it differently, please leave a comment.