Elisha Warren Jones

Elisha Warren Jones, 1849, 1918, age 69, was born on June 7, 1849 in Kanesville, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. His parents, Elisha Jones and Margaret Talbot, were baptized into the Church in Ohio in 1847. They had moved to Winter Quarters after their baptism but moved again to Kanesville to find work as a blacksmith. They had to wait until 1850 before crossing the plains to Utah due to poor health and insufficient funds. This made Elisha about one year old when making the trek, one of the youngest pioneers in the Matthew Caldwell Company. Elisha grew up in the Utah settlements of Provo, Heber City, and Fairview. He was always busy on the family farm. A life-changing event took place when he was a young man: a tree he was cutting down fell at an awkward angle and a jagged limb tore into his side. (His father, Elisha Jones, records in his diary that the tree hit his head as well.) He was given what medical assistance was available. However, his circulatory system in that part of his body was permanently impaired. He became partially paralyzed the remainder of his life. Elisha Warren married Jane Ann Pierce on March 6, 1871 at the age of 22. The person performing the ceremony was his father, Elisha. On that date, Elisha’s diary states: “I married my son Elisha W Jones to Jane Anne Pierce.” Elisha must have been acting either as Bishop or as Justice of the Peace. Elisha was sufficiently educated to teach school, in addition to helping farm. In 1876 his life changed again when he decided to attend the Brigham Young Academy in Provo, Utah to further his education. Karl G. Maeser was an instructor and became a personal friend. At the conclusion of his schooling, Dr. Maeser asked Elisha to go to the Huntington River area and organize a school. In June of 1880, he left for that assignment. There wasn’t a house available to hold school so Elisha worked with settlers to construct one. He apparently taught school in Huntington for many years and then continued teaching in Grouse Creek, Utah, Marysville, Idaho, and Heber City, Utah. Elisha was baptized into the Church when he was eight years of age. According to his father, he was ordained an Elder on September 20, 1863. He was endowed in 1870 in the Endowment House. For some reason Jane Ann was not endowed until 1882, again in the Endowment House. They were both sealed together in the Salt Lake Temple in 1896. He died on July 3, 1918 in Heber City, Utah. He is buried next to two of his sons, Hyrum and Edward, both of whom died in infancy. There are two written accounts of his life which portray his Church activity in differing terms. One states: “Elisha was active in the Church, but never held any position in the ward or stake.” The other reads: “Elisha Warren Jones was a High Priest, Home Missionary, Secretary and Counselor in the Elders Quorum.” by warrenjones1