Person talk:Ruey Jones (1)

Sister rather than daughter of Gusta? [11 August 2013]

I believe that Ruey was the sister rather than the daughter of Gusta (Jones) Rogers, for the following reasons:

Firstly, she was born several years before Gusta Jones and Elihu Rogers were married.

Secondly, she used the name Jones (not Rogers).

Thirdly, her first marriage record gives her father's name as David.

Fourthly, she is not listed with Elihu and Gusta in the 1900 census, at which time Gusta indicated that she had no living children.

My guess is that she was the "Bonnie" listed in the 1900 census as the daughter of David (and Safronia) Jones. (Possibly the census taker could not make sense of her name and transformed it to something he was familiar with.)

Since the age gap between Gusta and Ruey was 21 or 22 years, the writer of Ruey's obituary may have assumed that she was Gusta's daughter, rather than sister. Also, Ruey gave Gusta as her mother's name for her second marriage - for whatever reason (e.g., closest living relative).

An alternate possibility is that Ruey was the illegitimate daughter of Gusta (born before her marriage), and raised as David and Safronia's daughter, but admitting to her true parentage later in life.

I could not find her birth record at West Virginia VRs online (for any year from 1885 to 1895 in Gilmer County).

If you have no objection, I will change her parents to be David and Elizabeth Saphronia (Johnson) Jones.--DataAnalyst 00:00, 11 August 2013 (EDT)

Your points are well taken and it is a real possibility that Ruey was 'Bonnie' on the 1900 census. But I've found Ruey's death certificate here: http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=1179196&Type=Death which lists her parents as Gusta Jones and an unknown father. So it might be safer to just unlink Elihu Rogers and leave Ruey with an unknown father. Apparently even the (unnamed) informant on her d/c did not know of Ruey's father. Perhaps Gusta's parents (David Jones) raised her and that's why she put his name as father on her marriage record??? We'll probably not solve this until someone knows more about the Jones family. I'll unlink Elihu and add the d/c as a source. I'll also add an alt spelling of her name as per the d/c. I will also a comment on David's talk page so others become aware of this possibility. Thanks for catching this! --janiejac 13:10, 11 August 2013 (EDT)

Makes sense to me, Janie.--DataAnalyst 15:16, 11 August 2013 (EDT)