Eliza Jones Fulton

Generation 4

Historical Notes

Photographs of Eliza Jones Fulton

Miss Elizabeth McClean, a neighbor of Alexander Fulton and Eliza Jones, speaking of her motherless childhood: "She (Eliza Fulton) was so good to me-a wonderful neighbor. I remember she said to me, 'If you run out of bread, just bring me some flour and I'll make you sody biscuits.' And she did, many a time. I was about twelve then."

Eliza "Lila" Fulton Morrissey remembered her grandmother, Eliza Jones as "short and fat and everybody liked her. Charles (Charles Jacobs Fulton) and Tude (Pearl Loyal Fulton) often stayed at Grandmother Fulton's house."

Burial Permit: Eliza Fulton, age 81-2-14; female, white, d. Fairfield Twp. Dec 4, 1889; Dr. Eugene Campbell; Gibson & Beck, Undertakers.

Article from The Fairfield Ledger, Dec. 11, 1889, Page 8,
col. 2:

GRANDMOTHER FULTON GONE

In 1843, Alexander Fulton came from Delaware County, Ohio, to Jefferson County, Iowa, and with him his wife, Eliza Jones. Theirs has been one of the best known and respected families in the county ever since. Mr. Fulton died some five years ago, and Mrs. Fulton passed peacefully away Dec. 4, 1889, at the old home place west of town. They had four sons and a daughter, of whom but one son, J. W., is living. He is in California and could not be found by telegraph in time to come to her funeral which was held at the M. E. church Sunday morning December 7. Eliza Jones was born in Ross County, Ohio, Sept. 20, 1808. She was married in the same county June 22, 1826. One brother, Nelson Jones, Grand Ridge, Ill., survives her. Her long life was a continuous benefaction to family and friends.

Newspaper article: (probably from the Fairfield Daily Ledger)

A GOOD WOMAN GONE

Mrs. Eliza Fulton, widow of Alexander Fulton, died at her home just west of this city Wednesday morning. Advancing years had visited their infirmities upon her, and she had been a sufferer from disease for a long time. Her final illness dated only from the preceding Saturday, and it was not generally known in this city where she had so many friends until the sad end came. The maiden name of deceased was Eliza Jones, and she was a native of Ohio, where she was born Sept. 20, 1808 and grew to womanhood. She was married June 22nd, 1826, and in 1843 removed to this county, where her husband opened the first drug and book store and was engaged in business enterprises of various kinds for a number of years. Afterwards they removed to the farm just west of this city which was their home for so many years, whose hospitality was so well known to all earlier residents of Fairfield, and where both husband and wife died. Mrs. Fulton was the mother of five children, four sons and one daughter, but one of whom, Joseph W., is now living. The others all grew to years of maturity, only to be stricken down by disease. Saddened as the home circle was by death's visits it was not desolate and as many more children of other parentage, the fatherless and the motherless, found a home, and a good home it was, beneath the sheltering roof of Uncle Alex and Aunt Eliza Fulton. In common with other people of that day, Mrs. Fulton shared all the hardships of pioneer life, and many there are who remember well her kindly deeds and womanly sympathy of those times. Active and industrious throughout all her long life in her home and in her own family, that moment never seemed to come when she would not willingly and cheerfully lighten the labor or suffering of those who asked it or by chance fell in her way. Mrs. Fulton was a member of the Methodist church for more than sixty years, and her entire life was that of a noble, Christian woman. Her relatives in this community were few, but she counted as her friends all who knew her. The remains were interred Sabbath morning by the side of her husband and children. Funeral services were held at the Methodist church by Rev. W. C. Thorn, taking the place of the usual church service.

Alexander Fulton, Eliza Jones Fulton and four of their children are buried in the West half of Lot # 52 of the Old Fairfield Cemetery , Fairfield, Iowa. There is one large tombstone, # 492, bearing the following inscriptions:

West face:
Alexander, Died January 17, 1885, Aged 79 yrs. 4 mos. 19 ds.
North face:
Robert J., son of A. & E. Fulton, Died May 26 1857, Aged 28 yrs. 3 mos.
William C., son of A. & E. Fulton, Died Mar. 6 1857, Aged 21 yrs. 1 mo. 23 ds.
East face:
Martha Amelia, Only Dau. of A. & E. Fulton, Died Apr 11 1855, Aged 17 ys. 1 mo. 28 ds.
Gilbert L., son of A. & E. Fulton, Died Mar 12 1853, Aged 21 ys. 11 mo. 25 ds.

We do not know why Eliza's name is not included on the large stone or one of the small stones. Cemetery records indicate that she is buried beside Alexander.

Also, please note that four of the five Fulton children died within a four years and two months time span, and William and Robert died just two and a half months apart.

The following is a copy of a letter written to Charles Jacobs Fulton on August 24, 1919 by Estelle Purdum, a cousin living in Chillicothe, Ohio:

Dear Sir:

Your letter of recent date is received and I am glad to give any family history available. My father's name was Henry Jones, a grandson of a Jones family that came from New Jersey in 1803 and settled in Liberty township in the eastern part of this county (Ross).

Your grandmother Fulton, as you say, was born Eliza Jones, and she belonged to another Jones family that lived in the neighborhood of Hallsville or Kingston in the northern part of the county. As far as I know the two Jones families were not related, or if they belonged to the same "tribe" it would be many, many years ago.

My Mother's father, Thomas Jones, was a brother of your grandmother, Eliza Jones. This Thomas Jones married Margarite Haynes of a near by neighborhood and in a few years in 1840s, as I have heard my Mother say so many times, (for she was then a girl about twelve years old) the family moved to "Sickrun" a farm about four miles east of this city, and that was the home place where they lived. My grandmother died in the fall of 1865. I remember the date so well for it was the first year I was away from home in college. Grandfather, Thomas Jones, lived two or three years following the death of his wife. This moving to the Sickrun farm brought all the young people of the neghborhood to the same country church (Concord) and acquaintance ended in the marriage of my parents, Henry and Mary Jones. [Both of Mrs. Purdum's parents were named Jones.]

About the time or near there, there seems to have been a general moving for "Uncle Alex" and "Aunt Eliza" Fulton moved to Iowa, where the winters were more severe and only one of their family, cousin Joe Fulton, lived to middle life.

Another brother of your grandmother Eliza, John Jones, with his family moved to Illinois and settled near Kankakee in the northern part of the state.

"Eliza" may have had other brothers or sisters but I never heard of any. Where this Jones family to which Eliza, Thomas and John belonged, came from, I do not know, but they were of strong Welsh nationality.

Now I wonder how you happened to write to me, and even know the street on which I lived?

When I was a young girl in 1863, I went with Mother's parents, Thomas and Margarite Haynes Jones on a western visit to Iowa and Illinois to see Uncle Alex and Aunt Eliza Fulton and other relatives. Our main stopping place was at Aunt Eliza's, what was then in the suburbs of Fairfield.

We went to the country one day to see Cousin Joe and family. I remember there were several small children-I wonder if you were one of them. Such a dinner as we had that day! None of the old people cared to go so Cousin Joe hitched up a buggy and took me away over some where to see a family by the name of Jordan, said to be the first white family to settle in the county.

In one of my old albums I have such good photographs of your grandparents. Have you the same or would you like to have these? I don't think another person in the county would know who they were.

A few years before this western visit of mine, your grandparents had made a long visit to Ohio and spent some time in my father's home and at "Uncle Tommy's" so I feel I was pretty well acquainted - and then Cousin Joe made a visit or two - Is he still living?

One thing I remember, the railroad was built as far west as Ottumwa. Haven't things changed in 56 years?

I hope this bit of family history has been made plain even though there be nothing new. This leaves me in good health and the world using me well. I can quote the words of Victor Hugo,"the snows of winter are on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart."

Sincerely,

Estelle Purdum

URL:http://www.yawp.com/fulton
This is a genuine MOM (Mother of Michael) site estone@yawp.com
Michael A. Stone, Owner, janitor, and chief data rancher for YAWP (Yet Another Webservice Provider...)
1 November 1998
graphics provided by: Enchanted Backgrounds, and Angel Web Graphics