Myrtle Bell (Seals) & Frank Shadrack Jones

Myrtle was one of 12 children born to Samuel Sylvester and Dora Ann (Mize) Seals.  She was born on February 21, 1906 in Ullin, IL.  The whole family had to work so they could survive.  Myrtle finished the 4th grade and then her father put her to work in the mill to help out.  Most of her brothers and sisters did the same.

In 1923, as she grew older, she did some babysitting, etc.  At the age of 17 she went to stay with her Aunt Edith and Uncle Jesse in Murphysboro, IL.  She went because her aunt was ill and needed some help.  She had been going with John Rufus Williams and they had broke up, so she decided to go to Murphysboro.

While at her aunt and uncle's home, her uncle brought home a man with him from California.  Her uncle had been working with him in the railroad roundhouse.  His name was Frank Jones and they got along very well, and were married in 2 to 3 weeks.  That was on December 17, 1923.

After they married, Myrtle's father told her not to come home, but she went anyway.  After Frank went hunting with him, he decided that he was alright.

Frank got Uncle Ralph Seals a job at the roundhouse and they all lived together for about 1-1/2 to 2 years.  Myrtle had a son, John Joseph Jones, on September 3, 1924.  Soon after, there was a huge tornado and it scared Frank so bad that he decided to pack up Myrtle and Joe and move back to California.

It was very difficult with a small baby.  They camped out along the way, sometimes in a small tent and sometimes just out in the open.  When they arrived in California, they stopped in a little town in central California called Sultana.  Frank's sister lived there.  Her father-in-law, Mr. Gerow gave Frank and Ralph jobs on his ranch.

They traveled many places over the years, all over California doing various jobs.  Frank's brother Joseph joined them.

Frank and Myrtle had 2 more children, Alice Dora and Ada Marie Jones.  Uncle Ralph and Sunt Susie had 5 children; Bill, Lois, Stanley, Betty, and Richard.  They both finally settled in a small town called Hanford, california.

Ralph went to work for the gas company and Frank went to work as a ranch foreman, and later for the water and river district.

Frank passed away in 1964, at 79 years old and Myrtle is still living at age 96.  Ralph and Susie have both passed away.  All their children except one live within 45 miles of each other.  Richard lives in Wisconsin.

Alice has 3 children, 6 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.
Ada has 1 child and 2 grandchildren.
Joe has 3 children and 3 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.

Joe passed away May 31, 2001



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Story told to Ada Marie (Jones) Forbes and Alice (Jones) Bairstow
©copyright Leslie Riney 2008