Home > United States of America > California > Butte County > Chico > Glen Oaks Memorial Park > Charles Irvin Jones

Charles Irvin Jones

Birth	:	19 Nov 1903 California, USA
Death	:	24 Jan 1990 Butte County, California, USA
Burial	:	Glen Oaks Memorial Park, Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate	:	39.7076721, -121.8084641
Plot	:	Garden of Peace, Lot 709 sp 1
Description	:	Durham is often described as unique, stable, caring, and securely rooted in traditional American values. Those who live here have a real sense of belonging. With these perceptions in mind, one might ask what individuals and events combined to mold the character of our little community. Durham's earliest citizens were farmers from pioneer stock. Many were initially drawn to California by her mineral wealth and then stayed to inhabit our rich Sacramento valley. Some of the Durham area's earliest settlers had names like Neal, Durham, Jones, Burdick, Troxel and Fimple. In 1860, Peter Jones, a Bavarian immigrant, began farming just west... Read More	Durham is often described as unique, stable, caring, and securely rooted in traditional American values. Those who live here have a real sense of belonging. With these perceptions in mind, one might ask what individuals and events combined to mold the character of our little community. Durham's earliest citizens were farmers from pioneer stock. Many were initially drawn to California by her mineral wealth and then stayed to inhabit our rich Sacramento valley. Some of the Durham area's earliest settlers had names like Neal, Durham, Jones, Burdick, Troxel and Fimple. In 1860, Peter Jones, a Bavarian immigrant, began farming just west of the present site of Durham. (Durham did not begin to grow until the coming of the California & Oregon Railroad in 1870) Unbeknownst to him, his descendents would still be farming in Durham 126 years later. (The Jones Ranch was inducted into the 100 Year Club of the California Exposition and State Fair in September of 1975) He would have been proud to know that a future son, Joseph, would be honored as Durham's Parade Marshal in 1914, and that a granddaughter, Alma Frances Jones Blasingame, would be Durham's 1977 Woman of the Year, and that a grandson, Charles Irvin Jones, would be recognized as the Parade Marshal for Durham's 1986 Parade and Picnic. Irvin Jones was born in 1903 to George and Mary Frances Taylor Jones. He was the third of four children. Guy was born in 1896, sister Alma was born in 1901, and brother Warren was born in 1910. Irvin's uncles Charles and Joseph Jones contributed greatly to Durham's growth and development. Uncle Joseph was the first manager for the Diamond Match outlet in Durham, served a time as the local justice of the peace, and, as noted above, was honored at a Durham Parade Marshal. Irvin's Uncle Charles was a carpenter. He built the second Durham courthouse in 1922 and chaired the 1914 Parade and Picnic Committee. Irvin Jones, as his family before him, epitomizes the stabilizing influence longtime residents give to our community - a special group of people who not only remember our history but lived and influenced it. As a first grader, Irvin attended Durham's first school, a little two room school house that faced Brown Street on the corner of Brown and Goodspeed Streets. The "new" Durham Grammar School, located just east of the first school on the corner of Brown Street and Front Street (Midway), was completed in 1911 for the beginning of Irvin's second grade year. He would attend the next seven years of school here and was member of Durham's first graduating class that went through a graduation ceremony. Durham's 1918 eighth grade class had three members, Irvin Jones, George Adams, and Frank Cooley. During his early grammar school years, Irvin went to and from school with his big sister Alma. They usually walked, but at other times they would ride on their horse Tiny or in a spring wagon pulled by Harry another family horse. Their horses were stabled in a small barn built on the south end of the school yard by their dad and Mr. Sam Boyles. The school days were long for horses as well as kids in those days, and the horses were ready to race for home by later afternoon. On more than one occasion, Tiny, anxious to get home, would pull free from Alma or Irvin and run home ahead of them. At other times, with the kids aboard, Harry would leave the school yard with such speed that the wagon took the first corner on two wheels. There was no high school in Durham in 1918, so Irvin drove the family's second car, a Roadster, to Chico High School. The students were reimbursed $5 a month by the county's schools office to cover the cost of their transportation. Irvin's classmates from Durham rode the Northern Electric for about 15 cents a day, round trip. After a great deal of hated discussion between people of Chico and Durham, Durham High School was established in a wing of the Durham Grammar School. Irvin and fellow classmates George Adams, Frank Cooley, Annie Unger, and Mabel Cole, returned to Durham for their senior year. Of course, this meant that these five young people were member of Durham High School's first graduating class. During his senior year, Irvin made $40 a month as one of Durham's two school bus drivers. He drove two routes morning and night. One route took him out into the Durham Land Colony and a second out Burdick and Troxel Roads. High school ran from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Irvin remembers there were between 50 and 70 kids attending high school classes in one wing of the elementary school. Irvin was the only one of the five seniors who intended to attend college, so all of the senior classes that first year were his college prep requirements. The members of the 1922 senior call all took Physics, algebra II, English IV, United States history, and study hall. Since there was no previous high school in Durham, youngsters who wanted to learn to play an instrument took private lessons from a Mr. Wayne Curry in the library portion of the old courthouse. Irvin played the clarinet, his brother Guy played the trombone, Gene Ryon played the coronet, and together with others, they were members of the Durham Almond Grower's Band. They always looked forward to marching and playing in the Durham Parade. Upon graduation from high school, Irvin Jones attended Chico Teachers College for one year and then went on to the University of California at Berkeley where he graduated with a degree in economics. Irvin entered the work force as plant superintendent and plant manager in the fruit packing industry. He married Audrey Aisthorpe of Chico in 1928. They have two children, Alma Jean Jones Mathews and Chuck Jones, who have presented them with four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In 1946, Irvin returned to Durham with his family and purchased the Mitchell home just west of town. Two years later, Irvin stepped in to run the family farm. He has seen and participated in the great technological advances made in the almond industry over the past forty years. He worked with horse and tractor, dragging sheets to catch almonds at harvest, used poles, mauls, and sack to knock and transport almonds, bought one of the first hullers in the area, graduated from smudge pots to sprinklers for frost protection, changed farming practices to accommodate the pick-up machine, and has seen those same machines reach a high level of efficiency. Irvin reminded us that before the almond industry mechanized, farmers were dependent upon large numbers of seasonal employees to harvest their crops. Each year it seemed a different group was employed. In the early 1940s, the Chico employment office secured a large force of capable Mexican laborers for the job. Another year, the army transported German prisoners of war to the area to help with the harvest. In 1946, many blacks came from Richmond to do the job. Farmers arranged for them to be house at the Chico fairgrounds. Of course, area youth and farm laborers were always sought for help at harvest and at other busy times of the year. Reared in Durham, Irvin Jones returned to his home town to raise his own children and now works closely with his nephew, Kendall Blasingame, on the almond acreage purchased by his grandfather, Peter Jones, back in 1860. He has carried on the family tradition of hard work, intelligent farming practices, and a commitment to family and community stability and well-being. More than one individual in this community has benefited from the support and guidance Irvin Jones has so willingly given. In hard time and good, we can all look to a man who ha experienced both for direction, moral support, and hope for the future of farming. Written by Jan Holman and published in the Durham Community Communicator, Vol X, #2, April 1986, pg 2-3. Birth and death dates and locations, mother's maiden name Taylor, from California Death Index Records. 86-year-old Charles Irvin Jones was interred, per the Glen Oaks Memorial Park Cemetery Burial Records, in the plot noted, on January 27, 1990.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Charles Irvin Jones's memorial?
Charles Irvin Jones's memorial is located at: Glen Oaks Memorial Park, Chico, Butte County, USA.
When did Charles Irvin Jones death?
Charles Irvin Jones death on 24 Jan 1990 in Butte County, California, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Charles Irvin Jones's memorial?
Latitude: 39.7076721
Longitude: -121.8084641

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Audrey Lucille Aisthorpe Jones

(1903 - 1980)

Siblings

Guy Peter Jones

(1896 - 1971)

Alma Frances Jones Blasingame

(1901 - 1996)

George Warren Jones

(1910 - 1959)

Children

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Glen Oaks Memorial Park
Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7076721, -121.8084641

2. Chico Memorial Mausoleum and Crematory
Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7346010, -121.8374560

3. Chico Cemetery
Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7391470, -121.8367800

4. Durham Cemetery
Durham, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6758003, -121.7688980

5. Mechoopda Indian Cemetery
Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7328930, -121.8558910

6. Dayton Cemetery
Dayton, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6520004, -121.8679962

7. Bragg Cemetery
Nord, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7750980, -121.9568170

8. Martin Family Cemetery
Artois, Glenn County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6087220, -121.9547550

9. Monroeville Cemetery
Butte City, Glenn County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6747760, -122.0002560

10. Nelson Cemetery
Nelson, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5571410, -121.7694570

11. Centerville Cemetery
Centerville, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7994003, -121.6461029

12. Clear Creek Cemetery
Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6632996, -121.6138992

13. Nicholl Cemetery
Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8119000, -121.6557500

14. Paradise Cemetery
Paradise, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7589989, -121.6119995

15. Nimshew Cemetery
Magalia, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8460007, -121.6200027

16. Skyway Memorial Park
Magalia, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8059998, -121.5790024

17. Magalia Cemetery
Magalia, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8088570, -121.5800629

18. Pine Creek Cemetery
Chico, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8617240, -121.9842480

19. Smith-Lunt Family Cemetery
Yankee Hill, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7126420, -121.5404070

20. Mound Cemetery
Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5026460, -121.8605080

21. Cohasset Cemetery
Cohasset, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.9124880, -121.7333220

22. Clark Family Cemetery
Yankee Hill, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6969620, -121.5253210

23. Tebbe Family Cemetery
Deadwood, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7428450, -121.5256960

24. Cherokee Cemetery
Oroville, Butte County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6410179, -121.5316391