| Notes |
- Paul Americas marred1 Thekla Fisher, 2 children; &
married2, 1947 to Laura Weide, Prather, no children.
1950 Jan 5, Tues. - Obituary Death Takes Paul Jones, Lyons Editor
LYONS - Paul A Jones, 71, editor of the Lyons Daily News for nearly 36 of the 48 years the newspaper has been in existence, died late Monday night in a hospital at Sterling, Kas.
Jones, whose editorials & paragraphs were widely quoted in Kansas newspapers, underwent an abdominal operation last September & it was determined at that time he was suffering from cancer. The author of 2 books, he became known as the Admiral of the Kansas Navy because of his name & because he was an ardent went in a dry state.
Jones was born in Lyons May 31, 1882, the son of a pioneer lawyer, Horace Jones. He was educated in the Lyons schools & attended DePauw University at Greencastle, Ind., where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
He went to Tulsa, then to Indian territory, after two years at DePauw, worked for a short time in the Tulsa postoffice, then went to work for the Chetopa (Kas.) Advance, where his uncle for whom he was named, Paul Jones, was owner & editor.
Later he worked as a reporter in Joplin, Mo., & Coffeyville, Kas., then engaged for a time in the job printing business at Coffeyville. About 1910 he established the Coffeyville Sun, a morning daily. He sold this paper in 1915 & went to Pittsburg, where he established another daily of the same name.
Selling his interests there he returned to Lyons in 1918 & purchased the Lyons Daily News from Martin Laud. Six years later, with several others who held minor interests, a corporation was formed to buy the town's other paper, the Republican, from Jack Lawrence. The Republican was operated for a year as a weekly, then merged with the News.
Jones' first book, "Coronado & Quivera," was published as a result of research into the history of Coronado's visit to this locality in 1541. To gather facts for the book, Jones traveled extensively in New Mexico & Mexico. In 1941 he was chairman of Kansas' Coronado Quarte Centennial Commission, which sponsored observances of the 400th anniversary of Coronado's exploration of Kansas. His latest book, "Blue Feather," a novel about Pueblo Indian life in New Mexico before the coming of the white man, was issued only recently.
Jones was married in Lyons in 1912 to Thekla Fisher. They became the parents of two children, now Mrs Charles Haas of Tulsa & Mrs George L Gill of Sterling.
After the death of his first wife in 1944 he was married in 1947 to Laura Weide Prather of St John, who survives. Also surviving are a sister, Mary Alice Jones, & a brother, Horace Jones, managing editor of the Lyons Daily News.
Paul Jones was a former postmaster at Lyons, served on the school & library boards & was Democratic Central Committee chairman for Rice County. A Democrat since the election of Woodrow Wilson to the presidency, he continued as such all his life although he did not list himself as a New Dealer & usually was a severe critic of the Roosevelt administration.
He supported Republican Alf Landon for president & traveled with him on his campaign train. He was a state delegate to the Democratic National Convention at Houston. At one time he was mentioned prominently as a Democratic candidate for governor, but did not permit his name to receive formal consideration. He was a member of the Elks & Masonic lodges.
He had practically retired from the newspaper operation the last 10 years & following a heart attack 6 years ago contributed only through a personal column which he wrote at his home.
A private burial service will be held early Thursday afternoon with only members of the family attending. It will be followed by a memorial service at 2:30 p.m. that day at the Crawford & Miller Mortuary. Burial will be in the Lyons Public Cemetery.
The family asked that no flowers be sent.
Ref: The Hutchinson Newspaper. - - -
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1882 - 1954 (71 years)