Dan T. Jones was born 9 February 1877 at Hyrum, Cache, Utah son of William Jones and Mary Evans Jones. They lived at Hyrum for several years before coming to Malad City, Idaho to make their home. He had two brothers, John T. Jones, and Lorenzo Jones. He also had five sisters, Mrs. Ruth Makay, Mrs. Margaret Thomas, Mrs. Mary Ellen Thomas, Mrs. Elizabeth Hughes, and Mrs. Janie Evans.
His father died when they were young, his mother was left to rear her young family alone, it was a hard struggle in those days to earn a living but they all worked together and had a happy home.
Dan was always a good hand with horses in his boyhood years of fourteen or so, he rode with the Daniels Brothers. This was the days of the old west when the west was still untamed and the six gun was law in the western territory.
I have heard him tell how they treated horse thieves in those days. Horses at that time were considered about the most priceless property a man could possess. To be caught horse stealing meant only one thing and that was to be swinging from a tree without trial or jury.
Even though Dan ( as he was known to everyone) was a very quiet man, he could talk about horses all day long. On the ranch in the evening he would oft times relive the old days by telling us of his past experiences when he had ridden with older men. His had been the job of caring for the men’s saddle horses when they were out on the cattle drives. He learned to love horses then, and from then on they were the most important thing in his youthful outdoor life.
When but still a boy, I have seen grim-faced men riding to find another to shoot it out over an old grudge they had carried for some time. When they met, their six guns settled the grudge on sight. The lucky man mounted his horse without looking back and rode away without a word or motion from the bystanders that looked on in fear. I have heard him tell reliving every moment of it.
I remember him relating a story that took place in a Saloon. He said this tall rangy man came riding into this little settlement in northern Idaho, where they were stopping for the night. This man had traveled far. His horse was weary and the man looked grim and hard, he tied his horse to the hitching post then stepped quietly through the swinging doors with his hand above the holster on his hip. His eyes were like deadly steel as they took in the crowd.
Dan said the silence that reigned in that room was as thick as the doom of death. He said no man made a move, nor offered a word of greeting, all except one man that stood at the bar. He turned to see whom had entered, then his face paled, and he reached for the gun low on his hips. Their six guns spoke, the man at the bar lay sprawled out dead on the floor before many bystanders, but the killer walked out unmolested and rode off into the night.
So as a boy, Dan had many experiences that he seldom talked about. I understand he was always very kind to his mother, working hard and sharing his wages with her so that the rest of the family could survive and be educated.
He herded sheep for many years in his life. He married Mary Jane Thomas, 3 February 1895 and to this union sixteen children were born. Ruth, Mary, Eleanor, Daniel, Fredrick Eugene (Bud) , Pearl, Lillie, Lorenzo, Vernal, Leda, Fern, Lester, Otto, Max, Lenn, and Steve.
They always lived in Malad Valley. They farmed in Daniels for about thirty years, but moved back to Malad for the winter months where the children attended the Malad schools.
They were a happy family, very devoted to each other. They lived for two winters over in Marsh Valley, but were otherwise always residents of Malad.
Their home both in town and on the ranch was always open to friends and neighbors, who dropped in often to chat and have a delicious meal. She was always known to be a very good cook, and was especially known for her delicious homemade bread.
They worked very hard together, the girls helped their mother with the big washings that were done on the board then, and the big ironings that were done with stove irons. There were big gardens to be taken care of , fruit to pick and bottle , but they all worked together.
The oldest son (Bud) and his Dad were very close. They worked tirelessly together through the years. The other boys were much younger, but they were all devoted to one another.
Dan was well known throughout the valley as a good honest man, a good father, and a kind neighbor. He was known also as a good canyon man, getting out huge loads of pine logs, and mahogany stove wood. How well I remember how proud he was of those loads. He would never allow a load of wood or logs to be brought down the road for others to see unless he considered it one of the best.
He was outstanding in the field of breaking horses and was considered one of Malad Valleys very best teamsters and to my knowledge no team of equal size or larger ever out pulled his team in a pulling match.
As a Father-in-law, I loved him very much and always found him to be kind and considerate.
He passed away 20 November 1933 after a long illness and we all missed him very much.
On the 19 November 1936 his widow Mary Jane Thomas Jones had their marriage solemnized in the Logan L.D.S. Temple, she passed on the 24 May 1955.
Six of their sixteen children, Mary, Daniel, Bud, Pearl, Lorenzo, and Vernal have also passed on to the other side; they are all buried in the Malad Cemetery.