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Show Solemn Services Held For Founder of Gunnison Bank Joseph Thomas Jones, Founder and First President of Gunnison Valley Bank, Dies from Bullet Wound Last rites for Joseph Thomas Jones, held at the Gunnison Valley high school at 12:30 p. m. Monday, were marked with simple, but solemn, services, ser-vices, and the close friends who had gathered to pay the last sad respects were deeply impressed and eyes were dimmed with tears as the final tributes tri-butes were spoken. The casket was covered with a wreath of flowers and banked around were other tokens of flowers, the gift of friends and business busi-ness associates. I. L. Henrie, in the absence of Bishop Leslie Kidman, had charge of the services. As the funeral cortege entered the building a prelude, pre-lude, "Andante Contable," was played by J. G. Hilgendorf as a violin solo. Mrs. Hilgendorf was the accompanist on the piano. Other selections given by Mr. and Mrs. Hilgendorf were "Perfect Day" and "Covitana." The masonic ritual was read at the services by Rev. S. H. Maxwell, and Reuben Christensen, a warm and close friend of Mr. Jones, gave a brief talk on the past association and praised the worth and integrity of the friend who had been called. Joseph, Thomas Jones was born at Newton, Mo., August 6, 1856, the son of John W. and Catherine Burns Jones. Had he lived until the sixth of this month, he would have been 70 years of age. After his marriage, he came west wath his family, and in 1906 he located with his family at Kalispell, Mont. He entered the banking bank-ing business at the Montana city and remained there for a couple of years. Three years later he came to Gunnison, Gunni-son, where he established the Gunnison Gunni-son Valley bank, of which he was the first president. He made Gunnison his home for many years, and through his honest dealings and integrity he made the local bank a success. With the bank well established, he disposed of his interests to his son, J. W. Jones, who successfully carried on the business. busi-ness. In later years he became engaged in the copper mining business at Salmon City, Idaho, and many years were spent at the property by Mr. Jones. When the mine was closed down, due to the depression in the metal markets, mar-kets, Mr. Jones came to Gunnison and made his home with his son, F. H. Jones, manager of the J. C. Penney company. Joe Jones, as he was affectionately known among his friends here, and through his pleasing personality, won hosts of friends, both in a business and social way. He constantly had a friendly greeting for all, was a kind and devoted father and friend, and his death will be deeply mourned. Surviving are three sons, O. G. Jones of Portland, J. W. Jones of Salt Lake, and F. H. Jones of Gunnison, and one daughter, Mrs. H. W. Schneff, of Seattle. Mrs. Schneff, who has been ill for some time, was unable to attend at-tend the funeral. The remains were taken to Salt Lake Monday afternoon and placed in the mausoleum at the City cemetery. Brief services were held at Salt Lake. Mr. Jones met death at his own hand early Friday morning by shooting shoot-ing himself with a .38 calibre revolver. revolv-er. Following heavy financial losses in the mine venture, he brooded greatly, and fearful of being a charge in his declining days, as he had often remarked, he pulled the trigger of the gun which ended his life. Mr. Jones i left letters to all his children and to j Dr. F. O. Bullock, declaring his inten-( inten-( tions, and intimating that he was unable un-able to forestand what might be ahead. |