Pages

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Chester M. Jones (July 7, 1901 - January 21, 1973)

Chester M. Jones (July 7, 1901 - January 21, 1973)

What do you remember about Chester Jones, or do you remember him at all?  You might have seen his picture in the Harbor History Museum blog entitled “Town of Gig Harbor Incorporated”, or in the blog entitled “Gig Harbor Law Enforcement History”.  If you read Little History of Gig Harbor, Washington by Jack R. Evans published by SCWPublications, you would have seen the entry on ‘Town Marshall’.  Or possibly at the Police Department in the Gig Harbor Civic Center.

Perhaps, though, we might be able to add some additional information about the man, Chester (Chet) Jones.  We’ll start with his birth in Itasca, Minnesota in July, 1901 to Harry Jay Jones, age 23, and Melrose Robideau, age 18.  He was their first child.  Harry was a grocery merchant, and lived in Cohasset, MN.  However on July 4, 1945 when he died, he was visiting Chet in Tacoma.

Sometime between 1920 when he was living in Cohasset, MN and 1925, Chet moved to Tacoma, Washington, where he met Leona M. Lile, and they were married on December 5, 1925.  Chet got at job at Asarco Smelter plant in Tacoma where he worked as an accountant.  In 1930 Chet and Leona moved to Wollochet, a small community across the Narrows and part of the greater Gig Harbor community.  Chet and Leona never had children themselves, but over the years of their marriage they had given themselves, and their home, to many foster boys and girls.  According to an article which appeared in The Peninsula Gateway (I believe June 5, 1974) “Their home was the scene of countless picnics, water skiing parties and other activities for Peninsula and surrounding area youth.”

In 1948, Mayor Harold Ryan appointed Chet as Town Marshall for the newly incorporated class four Town of Gig Harbor.  Previously all law enforcement activities for the community were handled by Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.  His duties were mainly to control the drunks, the traffic and the parking problems.  He was also responsible for security and the handling of other minor civil disorders, however he had no arrest powers according to Harold H. Ryan.  He received a monthly salary of $125 plus an additional $15 for monthly expenses.  According to Jack Evans in his history, Chet also was dog catcher, and because the town had no public works department, he also filled in pot holes.  However, Pierce County did help the Town of Gig Harbor with paving of streets and roads.
First Police Car parked in front of Gig Harbor Hardware - HHM BUS-199-GH.jpeg

GH First Patrol Car 1948-Left to Right: Mayor HR Ryan; Councilman Antoine Stanich; Judge H. R. Thurston; Marshall C. M. Jones; Councilmen Keith Uddenberg & Fred Perkins - HHM CG-001-GGH.jpeg
Marshall Jones in Police Car on Clay Hill after moving road from tide line below to Clay Hill above - 12/18/1949 Source-Shaw Family, Frank Owen Shaw, Photographer.  HHM BD&R-050-NGH.jpeg

In 1951, Chet was a Deputy County Sheriff according to the Pierce County-Tacoma Polk’s Directory.  Unfortunately the Northwest Room, Tacoma Public Library was unable to find any information in their files on Chet regarding his life or occupations in Tacoma or Gig Harbor.

Although Jack Evans mentioned Chet’s involvement in real estate investments as early as 1932, I was unable to find any information on that earlier other than what is stated in his obituary. Polk’s Directory for Pierce County-Tacoma, does list Chet as an agent at McDonald Realtors in 1959.  It is very easy to see Chet’s interest in real estate investments tied to Woodburn McDonald and his business as you can see when you check Woodburn’s blog history.  Woodburn also lived in Rosedale, near Wollochet Bay. However, his obituary says he joined partnership with Purdy Really in 1958 following his retirement from Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.  This is also easy to understand because Tom Morris, Sr. moved to Gig Harbor in 1944 following his graduation from Washington State College and worked in banking and real estate transactions with State Mutual Savings Bank, and then in 1950 starting Purdy Realty.  Chet joined Purdy Realty as a partner following his retirement as Pierce County Deputy Sheriff.

Gig Harbor Golf Course Course History does not mentioned Chet directly, but as a partner with Tom Morris, Sr. he too had participated in establishment of the Artondale Golf Course, presently GH Golf Club.  It was back in 1954 when a group of several members of the Wollochet Community Club of which Chet was a member, put together plans for a golf course.  Membership shares sold at $500 each, farm property of 114 acres belonging to Jack and Ann Lamar was purchased and development began.  It took six years but finally in October 1960 the club was dedicated.  Tom Morris, Sr., Club President, arranged TV Channel 11 to record and broadcast the event.

Chet’s activities during the 1960 and 1970s weren’t discovered but one can assume they were filled with his real estate activities as well as his various community involvement and of course, his participation with youth and as a foster parent.

The Peninsula Gateway June 5, 1974 article mentioned above is titled “First Scholarship Awards from Memorial Fund Awarded Peninsula Students.”  

It continues “The Wollochet Peninsula Club, Inc., formed around 1965, and active in succeeding years in community affairs, sponsorship of neighborhood youth recreation, voted to ceased operations in 1973.  Through the dues and various fund-raising campaigns, the club had purchased free and clear the old Wollochet schoolhouse and several areas of adjoining property.  The current board of directors and membership decided to sell all assets and the residual, approximately $20,000 was deposited in a trust at Peninsula State Bank, and administrators appointed to govern the dispursement of the funds to C. M. Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund.

The fund honors the late Chester Jones, a long-time residents of the Wollochet Bay area, who, together with Mrs. Jones, devoted a large share of his time both before and after retirement from the  Pierce County Sheriff’s staff and real estate business, to the furtherance of youth activities in the Gig Harbor area.  Chet was Chapter Dad to the Rainbow Girls, along with numerous other related functions.  Mr. and Mrs. Jones, over a period of years, had given their home and themselves to many foster boys and girls who have benefited richly from the association. Their home was the scene of countless picnics, water skiing parties and other activities for Peninsula and surrounding area youth.

To perpetuate, for a specified number of years, the objectives of both the Wollochet Peninsula Club and Mr. Jones, to recognize and assist deserving and qualified young people of the the Peninsula area, who have a strong desire for higher education, courage to overcome adversities and a genuine concern for the welfare of others, the fund will provide a generous one year scholarship to the institution of higher learning of their choice, to one boy and one girl from each annual senior graduating class of Peninsula High School.  The school Scholarship Selection Committee will recommend three boys and three girls to the fund’s trustees and the later will make the final selection of the individuals to receive the award.”

Chet was a member of the Methodist Church in Cohasset, Minnesota, the Gig Harbor Lions Club, John Paul Jones Lodge 217, F & M, Waconda Chapter, OES, the Gig Harbor Aerie of the FOE, as well as the Order of Rainbow for Girls.

Leona passed away at age 95 in December 1997.  She worked for the Internal Revenue Service in 1942 and retired as Chief Supervisor in 1966.  She was a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Tacoma.  

Note:

  • The Peninsula Gateway, 1/25/1973; 6/5/1974; 12/10/1997; 8/25/1982; 7/14/1999
  • Tacoma News Tribune 1/23/1973
  • ancestry.com
  • Little History of Gig Harbor by Jack R. Evans - copyright (C) 1988
  • Harbor History Museum Blogs (see links in blog)
  • Gig Harbor Golf Club - Course History

© 2012 Harbor History Museum. All rights reserved.

No comments:

Post a Comment