Dr. Johannes A. Jones
Dr. Johannes A. Jones, who departed this life Tuesday, Dec. 3, was born Sept. 30, 1830. He was a son of Joshua A. Jones who resided on a farm near Philadelphia. His early life was spent upon the farm and he received his primary education in the country school. When a youth he entered Flack's graded school in New York City, spending the vacations clerking for his uncle, J. A. Jones, after whom he was christened. After graduating from this school, his father desired that he should study for the ministry, but, through the influence of another uncle, Sir Walter Jones, M.D., LL.D., a famous physician of London, England, he began the study of medicine and entered Bellvue hospital, a medical institution in New York, from which he graduated in 1858. He next graduated from the Homeopathy Medical College of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, in 1859; from the New York Ophthalmic hospital for the eye, ear and throat, in 1860; from the Hannaman Medical Institute of Philadelphia in 1861. He then went to London and studied one year with Sir Walter Jones, who was then in the height of his success, after which Dr. Jones was appointed chief surgeon of the eye and ear department of the institute with which his uncle was connected, remaining there two years. He then returned to New York and founded the Jones eye and ear institute, which he abandoned four years later on account of ill health, and again went abroad, spending 19 months in the principal hospitals of London and Vienna. He then returned to America and became a traveling specialist. Dr. Jones came to Mansfield about 31 years ago, purchased the present family residence on Spring Mill Street, married Miss Frances I. Barr, daughter of Col. Barr of this city, and has since resided here continuously, spending the summers at home and the winters traveling from city to city practicing his profession. He quit practice at Little Rock, Ark., in 1881. During these years he amassed considerable property in this city. The survivors of his family are his wife and four daughters, namely: Mrs. L.J. Elliott of Racine, Wis., Misses Madelle, Bessie and Leile, the later aged 12 years. In his home life Dr. Jones was attentive to his family. He was fond of children and music and gave each of his children all of the educational opportunities at command. When alone with his family his greatest pleasure was to have his children entertain him with music, in which manner most of his evenings were spent. He would insist on having his children bring their associates to their home and, no matter who the guests might be, he made it a rule to spend a half hour with them in social intercourse and he was a hospitable entertainer. In his every-day life he was not disposed to mingle much with the outside world. He chose but few personal friends and those who knew him intimately held him in high esteem. Outside of the few whose fellowship and confidence he preferred he lived a retired life. Since he retired from practice, members of his family say, he had not been absent from home three nights in all these years, except, in the company with some member of his family, to attend entertainments or social events to which the family was invited. Dr. Jones was abstemious in his habits and opposed to the use of liquor and tobacco in any form, even for medical purposes. He was a persistent advocate for temperance, was a member of the Methodist church since boyhood and preserved in books all the lessons taught by him in the Sabbath School when a young man. He was a demitted member of the Masonic fraternity but never affiliated with the lodges in this city.
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