Written by Sandy Kinter, from Waterford Genealogical Society E-Newsletter Volume 16 Number 6
Located in western Waterford Township, Section 30 has changed from a neighborhood of farms to residential, with homes surrounding Pleasant Lake. The section is bounded on the west by Williams Lake Road and White Lake Township. On the east side of the section is Hospital Road and to the north is Elizabeth Lake Road. The quiet of the farms has been replaced by the occasional roar of a jet taking off from Oakland County International Airport, located a little more than a mile to the north, the roar of busy traffic traveling on Williams Lake Road, and even the roar of a boat engine on Pleasant Lake.
In the southwestern corner of Section 30 is a tiny slice of land owned by L. Hathaway. Linus Hathaway resided in Section 31 and the Hathaway family will have its own story with that section. The southeastern corner of Section 30 contains a 40 acre piece of property owned by F.O. Jones. Franklin O. Jones was reported with the biographies of Section 29.
John Samuel Jones
Caroline M. Holser
The northeastern corner of Section 30 is the intersection of Elizabeth Lake Road and Hospital Road. In that corner the 1872 plat map of Waterford Township shows a ten acre plot owned by J. Holser. John Holser resided in Section 19 on the northern shore of Pleasant Lake. The 1870 census reports that the family residing on the property was Samuel Jones, age 29, born in New York, his occupation is engineer; Samuel’s wife, Caroline, age 24, born in Prussia; and children Samuel, age 5, and Albert, age 3, both born in Michigan.
John Samuel Jones was born 14 July 1841, in Geneva, New York, the son of Joseph and Ann M. (Hicks) Jones.(1)(2) His obituary from the Flint Journal, Flint, Michigan, says he came to Pontiac, Michigan with his parents when he was a child. (2) John S. married Caroline Holser 26 April 1864, in Waterford, Michigan. (2) In the 1880 census, the family is residing in Hazelton, Shiawassee County, Michigan, (3) and in 1900 they are found in Clayton Township, Genesee County, Michigan. (4) John S. Jones’ obituary reports not only was he a farmer, but he had served for 37 years as a chief engineer on a lake vessel. (2) John S. Jones died 24 April 1919, in Clayton Township, Genesee County, (1) and is buried in the Flushing City Cemetery, Flushing, Michigan. (5)
Caroline M. Holser was the daughter of John Holser and Mary Forester, born 21 February 1846 in Prussia. (6) Her father was the J. Holser who owned the ten acre property where the Jones family lived in 1870. John Holser and family were included in the reports on Section 19. Caroline M. Jones died 28 April 1928, in Flushing, Genesee County, Michigan. (6) She is buried with her husband in the Flushing City Cemetery, Flushing, Michigan. (5)
In the 1850 census, Joseph and Ann Jones are residents of Pontiac, Michigan. (7) Both Joseph and Ann report that they were born in New Jersey. (7) Joseph Jones died 6 November 1869, at age 55 years, 5 months, and 8 days. (8) If his age and death are correct, then Joseph was born 29 May 1814. (8) Ann Maria Jones died 28 November 1886, at age 72 years, 3 months, and 28 days. (8) If all information is correct then Ann was born 31 July 1813. (8) Both are buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Pontiac, Michigan. (8)
Sources:
- Death Certificate, John S. Jones, Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952,
Ancestry, www.ancestry.com - Obituary, Flint Journal, Flint, Michigan, Saturday, 26 April 1919, page 20,
GenealogyBank, www.genealogybank.com - 1880 Census, page 386D, Hazelton, Shiawassee County, Michigan
- 1900 Census, page 226A, Clayton Township, Genesee County, Michigan
- Flushing City Cemetery, Flushing, Genesee County, Michigan, Find A Grave,
www.findagrave.com - Death Certificate, Caroline M. Jones, Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952,
Ancestry, www.ancestry.com - 1850 Census, page 90, Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan
- Oak Hill Cemetery, Pontiac, Michigan, Find A Grave, www.findagrave.com