Esther Jones

KENOLY FAMILY HISTORY

ESTHER JONES

Esther (pronounced Easter) Jones is the root of the African-American Jones family that originated in Camden County, Missouri. She was born a slave in North Carolina in April of 1825. All that is known of her parents is that her mother's birthplace was Virginia. Esther's master was John Jones who was born in Maryland in the 1820's and became a merchant in St. Louis in the 1840's. With his marriage to Henrietta, he became the brother-in-law of J. W. McClurg. John came to the Ozark region in 1846 and purchased the Abbot store at Linn Creek. McClurg soon joined this venture that would eventually grow to a half-million dollar business before the Civil War. As Henrietta was born in Virginia, it is possible that Esther's mother was associated with Henrietta's family before Henrietta married John Jones. - {Source 1}

Esther had ten children; all of them were born in slavery and at least some of them were born in Linn Creek. Five children probably died young. Esther's known descendants through her Great-Grandchildren are listed below.

Descendants of Esther Jones - {Source 2}

1 Esther Jones b: Apr 1825 in North Carolina d: Mar 1907 in Lebanon, MO age at d: 81 est.
...... 2 Miranda Jones b: Oct 1842 in Camden County, MO d: Sep 04, 1921 in Linn Creek, MO age at d: 78 est.
.......... +Henry Stevens b: Jul 1797 in Kentucky d: Feb 16, 1908 in Linn Creek, MO age at d: 110 est.
.............. 3 Hester Stevens b: 1865
.............. 3 James Peter Stevens b: 1868
.............. 3 Frank Stevens b: Aug 27, 1874 d: Sep 1965 in California age at d: 91 est.
.................. +Nellie Jones
...................... 4 Claude Stevens b: Jun 13, 1903 d: Mar 1970 in Inglewood, CA age at d: 66 est.
...................... 4 Charles Stevens
...................... 4 Lula Stevens b:
...................... 4 James Stevens
...................... 4 Beula Stevens
...................... 4 Gladys Stevens
.............. 3 Nancy Stevens b: Jul 12, 1875 d: May 21, 1911 in Linn Creek, MO age at d: 35
.............. 3 Charlie Stevens b: Jul 23, 1878 d: Mar 1965 age at d: 86 est.
.............. 3 William Stevens b: 1880
.............. 3 Amy Stevens b: Jan 01, 1884 in Camden County, MO d: Mar 25, 1926 in Eldridge, MO age at d: 42
.................. +Wilson Washington Kenoly b: Jan 13, 1879 d: Jul 1967 in Lebanon, MO age at d: 88 est.
...................... 4 Eunice Kenoly b: Jul 09, 1910 in Eldridge, MO d: Feb 1994 in Lebanon, MO age at d: 83 est.
.......................... +George Winfrey b: May 01, 1905 in Eldridge, MO d: Dec 04, 1993 in Lebanon, MO age at d: 88
...................... 4 Claude James Marshell Kenoly, Sr. b: Nov 29, 1911 in Eldridge, MO d: Jan 28, 1993 in Stockton, CA age at d: 81
.......................... +Dorthy Hill b: in Independence, KS d: 1965 in Stockton, CA age at d: ?
...................... 4 Maud Myrtle Hester Kenoly b: Nov 29, 1911 d: Sep 28, 1999 in Stockton, CA age at d: 87
.......................... +Clarence Eugine Hinkle, Sr. b: Nov 01, 1909 d: Apr 13, 1995 in Boonville, MO age at d: 85
...................... 4 Ralph Kenoly b: Abt. 1912 in Eldridge, MO d: Abt. 1924 in Neodasha, KS age at d: 12 est.
...................... 4 Quinton Devill Kenoly
.......................... +Alverta Overton
...................... 4 Lillard Devett Kenoly b: Oct 11, 1920 d: Feb 18, 1996 in Lexington, MS age at d: 75
.............. 3 Myrtle Stevens b: Aug 07, 1886 d: Aug 1979 in Wichita, KS age at d: 93 est.
.................. +Frank Lollis
...... 2 Scott (Smokey) Jones b: Jan 07, 1851 in Camden County, MO d: May 27, 1926 in Springfield, MO age at d: 75
.......... +Nancy Angeline Bond b: Abt. 1857 in Linn Creek, MO
.............. 3 Alice Jones b: May 22, 1876 d: Jul 1971 in Pleasantville, NJ age at d: 95 est.
.................. +(Unknwn) Washington
...................... 4 Georgia Washington
.............. 3 Matur Jones b: Abt. 1878
.............. 3 Oscar Jones b: Sep 13, 1880 d: Oct 1970 in Gaston, IN age at d: 90 est.
.............. 3 Hattie Jones b: Mar 1884
.................. +(Unknown) Hogan
.............. 3 Susan Jones b: Dec 1886
.................. +(Unknown) Bennings
.............. 3 Lillian Jones b: Sep 1892
.................. +Ellis Vantrice b: Apr 03, 1890 d: Aug 1972 in El Reno, OK age at d: 82 est.
.............. 3 Raymond Jones b: Sep 13, 1899 d: Jun 1986 in Scranton, PA age at d: 86 est.
...... 2 Rosa Jones b: 1854 in Camden County, MO d: Jul 1908 age at d: 54 est.
.......... +Levy Payton
.............. 3 Edward Payton b: Jan 1871
.............. 3 Pearl Payton b: Oct 1878
.............. 3 Luther Payton b: Jun 1880
.............. 3 Levi Payton b: May 1882
.............. 3 Walter Payton b: Nov 1884
.............. 3 Ada Payton b: Nov 1885
.............. 3 Solomon Payton b: Dec 1888
.............. 3 Lonnie Payton b: Apr 1891
.............. 3 Elsie Payton b: Nov 1893
...... 2 Albert Jones b: 1855 in Camden County, MO d: Jul 25, 1877 age at d: 22 est.
...... 2 Samuel Jones b: 1861
.............. 3 William Jones b: Dec 1881
.............. 3 Richard Jones b: Apr 1883
.................. +Hattie Stevens b: May 1881

It is possible that Esther had to sisters who were slaves of the Jones family as Scott, Esther's son, still a resident of Camden County in 1870, was living in a home with Meriah and Rachel Jones, both of who were about Esther's age. - {Source 3}

It is probable that Esther passed through the growing town of Lebanon several times as she traveled between Linn Creek and Hazelwood, the mercantile center in Wright County that was a part of Jones, McClurg and Company. Perhaps it was then that she decided to make it her home. Or it may be that she made her decision to move to Laclede County when The Freedman's Aid built a school for Negroes in Lebanon. Except for one early and short-lived Negro school in Linn Creek at the close of the Civil War, Camden County provided no schools to educate its black citizens. The Lebanon school was a powerful attraction for the emancipated slaves who quickly learned of the many disadvantages of being uneducated. What is certain about these early years is that Esther took special note of the art of her master's profession, learned about supply and demand and made good use of it. During the Civil War, this enterprising woman cooked beans in a large pot in the front yard and sold them to the passing soldiers who always seemed to be hungry. - {Source 4}

Emancipated on January 11, 1865, it took Esther only until July 14 of that year to make her first real estate purchase in Lebanon; her "bean" money had become the basis of her economic independence. Esther had probably served as midwife at the births of the many slave babies born to the Jones family and she continued in this occupation as a free woman. Frugal in her life style, she eventually saved enough money to build herself a four-room house. Those four rooms remain today as the core of the expanded home of Esther's great granddaughter, Eunice Kenoly Winfrey (1910-1994), and her husband, George Winfrey (1905-1993). Esther bought more real estate and, by 1895, owned all of Block 37 in Harrison & Craig Addition, lots one through seven in Block 39 and part of Block 49. - {Source 5}

Esther served as midwife and nurse for many of the families of Lebanon, both white and black, establishing many friendships and earning the respect of those for whom she worked. This remarkable woman died in March of 1907. - {Source 6}